Double Trouble: A Fable Romance
by XrandomXchickaX
Summary: Oakvale lies in ruins, and Lillian must fight to survive in Albion. With the help of Maze, she becomes a hero. But will the skills she acquires and love for her unlikely match be enough to save them all, or just enough to send them under? :Maze X OC:
1. A New Life in the Heroes' Guild

In a world where creatures of the night attack those who wish to protect the community, there stands a fortification of honesty and dishonesty, love and hate, the answer to be heard, and the fatal silence that brings death and despair. This building houses the children of the future to bring forth the battle of life and death for all, and satisfy the deepest of desires with their power.

This world… is Albion.

Sorry. Had to do the dramatic movie voice prologue enterance. Heehee.  
James is the main character that you play as in Fable. The other main character is Lillian. Any variations of these names are presumably the either one of them. Meaning any nicknames such as Lilly, Lil, Jimmy, or Jim or something similar, is the character it represents and you should assume so.  
Lillian is just a couple months younger than James, and she is ten years old at the time. She has naturally black hair and amethyst eyes. She loves to play horseshoe and has a certain love of Balverines. She enjoys taking time to tend to the garden with her mother and has a knack for figuring out complex problems. She gets great pleasure from doing tasks and helping out villagers as much as she can, and takes time out of her day to help out the general store. She gets rewarded with five gold pieces a day. Lillian is rather skilled at bargaining and seeing the truth in things, so nothing gets by her that she doesn't like. She speaks her mind, and has many different hobbies. She gets bored easily, and has no problem making up games to pass time.  
Lillian also tends to sense danger…  
There's not much more I want to explain right now, so enjoy the story. :]

The morning sun rose from the horizon and awakened me for the new day. I smiled and rubbed the drowsiness away from my eyes. It was Theresa's birthday. I can't wait to give her the freshly picked Oakvale Daisy's I found in my family's garden. My mother is the only woman in Albion to raise her daisies in a specific manner to make them blue instead of the original purple. I'm not sure what her secret is, but she'll tell me one day. I just _know_ it.  
Theresa is my best friend's sister. My best friend is James. He and Theresa live with the father down the road in the old Perrylou house. Mr. Perrylou died last year from complications with pneumonia. They moved in immediately. James' mother always wanted a house near a hill. The village we live in, Oakvale, is a lovely town just west of Barrow Fields, and east of a camp home to thieves and bandits. Oakvale is a fairly large town compared to the size of others, as mother puts it. The grass is a lush green, and there are paths of dirt and dead weeds that give us the directional trails to places of importance. It has a fair amount of people who live here, and no school, which I find rather annoying. All the children are home schooled, which takes time away from more important things such as cleaning, and taking care of the animals and crop. There's a tavern just down the road from here, down the hill next to the shore. Mother goes there often and brings back a man named Bertram. He stays the night in mother's quarters a few times a week. I ask her why he's always here, but she only replies with "You'll know when you come of age, my dear."  
I still wonder what that means.  
Either way, I hold resentment for the tavern. That man makes my mother different. She usually sings during the day while tending to the garden, but she's stopped since she started bringing him home with us.  
I bet she misses father.  
Mother speaks of father very little, but the tone of her voice makes me wonder about him. What was he like? Did he smile like brother does? What color were his eyes?  
When I speak of him, and ask about him, she always replies with the same answer. "Everyone knew who he was, but only then did they learn the meaning of fear when he bestilled directly into their hearts."  
But anyway, today is supposed to be a happy day.

I immediately got out of bed, crossed the day off in my calendar, and dressed up in my most comfortable attire. I put on my loose black baggy pants and white tank top. I ran down the dirt path past two houses and walked inside the open one-roomed house where James lay on his bed, sound asleep. His father sat at the dining room table, only fit for two people even though four lived in the house.

"Good morning, sir." I greeted warmly. He flashed me a bright smile.  
"Good morning, Lillian. How are you on this wonderfully bright morning?" He asked.  
"Fine, thank you. And yourself?"  
"Excellent. Did you hear? Theresa and James' mother is coming home today for the birthday party." He smiled. I grinned back.  
"I did, and what exciting news it is."  
"Theresa's playing in the fields near the road to Barrow Fields if you're interested." He said. I waved goodbye to him as I picked up her present waiting at the general store and ran down the path to greet her.  
"Happy birthday." I smiled and handed over the daises I had gathered for her, along with a ribbon made from rose petals. She grinned.  
"Just like I had imagined. I knew you would bring me these flowers." She smiled. I believed Theresa had a special gift, as did she, that her dreams were prophetic. She could see into the future, and her dreams were the only way she could. Her smile had faded into nothingness. "I also seen terrible things. I believe the village is in danger. James will bring me chocolates, and then there was shouting, but I woke up after then. I believe I'm not supposed to warn anyone, and that's why I had woke up.  
"Terrible things are about to happen. Today, I presume. I must forewarn you not to leave the village. You have to be here when it happens. You have to keep James safe, for there's nothing I can do." She wasn't speaking, this was her darker side, her visionary side. And I believed her. I nodded and agreed to watch over James.  
"You know, Terry, sometimes you scare me." She giggled silently.  
"It's not my intention." She has such good grammar it's hard to tell what she's really saying. And when she's explaining her dreams, it's hard to tell if it's her talking, or another force stronger than human kind can imagine.

We began to play a game of horseshoe while we waited for her party to start. Down the road, James was sprinting towards us with a box of chocolates in his hand. The box was wrapped delicately in gold paper with a bright red ribbon in his hands. Theresa was right again.  
"Oh, brother, did you forget my birthday again this year?" She teased. "It's quite alright. I knew you'd bring me a box of chocolates, I saw it in my dream." She told him. The wind began to pick up and clouds began to hover over us, tauntingly as they darkened, welcoming the brutality that was about to happen. I walked towards the fence that surrounded the crop field that had not yet begun to grow we were standing in. Down the road, I could see a man running from Barrow Fields, a popular trading community among Albion.

"Bandits!  
"Run, hide! They're com-" He was cut short and he fell down to the ground, a now bloody arrow sticking out of his back. I gasped in horror.  
"This is it! My dream…" Theresa began, then stopped herself. "Hide! We must hide!" Pulling James to the ground next to me, we hide in the small field behind vines that had crawled up along side of the fence. I could hear the roars from the large group of bandits as they ran up the road and into Oakvale. The roars were followed by metal clashing between the guards and bandits, followed by blood chilling screams. I began to cry silently, worrying about my mother and Blaise, my younger brother. I peered through the fence and awaited quietly, hoping the group wasn't large enough to put a dent in our population.  
We waited hours in field as we watched our hometown light up in a firey blaze. There was nothing we could do, or anyone could do, due to the lack of communication among the small city-states of Albion.  
"We have to go find our families." I told him. He shook his head, fear in his eyes. "Please, you're with me right, Theresa?" I asked and turned to my brown haired friend, but to my dismay, she was no where to be found. My heart stopped.  
"Theresa?" I called out. No answer. I turned back to James.  
"If you're not going to leave, then I will." I told him. I stood up and turned all the way around. Bandits were no where to be found. They had disappeared. I walked away from James and headed up the hill and through the roofed bridge, headed towards my home turning every corner carefully. I felt a hand on my shoulder and jerked around to meet eyes with James. Breathing in relief, I turned back around and headed into the residential area of the town. As soon as we entered, I could see James' house on fire, and in front of his house, lay his father with a knife in his back. James immediately ran towards him and fell to his knees. I walked forward and sat next to him, he began crying intensely. His father was all he had left, basically. His mother was always gone.  
Then, there was a shriek. We looked up from the corpse that lie in front of us.  
"Ahhhhahahah! Got another one!" We heard from two houses down. Oh no, mother. I stood up.  
"_Mother!_" But I knew it was no use. I began to run but stopped dead in my tracks as a man wearing a brown vest and baggy pants exited my home. He screamed the infamous bandit cry and headed towards James and I with a katana in his hand. I backed up slowly, too afraid to begin running, and froze.

A bright flash lit up the town, and he fell dead before me.

Behind him was a man with a neon, glowing tattoo on his face. He was rather tall, with white hair that had been slicked back. He wore a thick, armored, purple trench coat with its collar popped and purple fingerless gloves.  
"We must leave. It's not safe here." He stated as he walked forward. I backed away and fell next to James. The man looked agitated.  
"They're all dead. You don't want to join them do you?" He asked, even though we knew it wasn't a question, I shook my head anyway.  
"Then… give me your hand." He said, holding out his hands to us, his palms facing toward the sky in a very kind gesture. I hesitated, backing away a little. As I tried to push myself away from him, James' hand appeared beside me as he reached out to the untrustworthy man. I glanced at him with a glare.  
"I want to live." He told me. I believed in James' judgment, so I reached out and grabbed the mysterious saviors' hand. In a bright flash, we traveled through dimensions and time, arriving at another mysterious place. My stomach felt woozy, but I retained my energy.. and lunch, unlike James who threw up on the ground next to me. I scooted away from him. The older gentlemen who just saved us look disgusted, and a little disappointed.  
"Hmm.. thought you would have a stronger stomach than that, my friend. Now come on." He said as he held out his hand to pick us up off the ground. I pulled myself away from him and stood up myself as James began to fight him off.  
"Save your energy, boy, it's not me you want to fight." James let his arms fall, and his world was crashing down upon him. He didn't care that I was watching him cry, or that his family had been stripped from him. Mine had as well, but I must appear strong to this man. He might be pulling us away from Oakvale for a more torturous death. I could not appear weak.

_I can't afford to appear weak. _

He looked to both of us.  
"There's nothing left for **you** in Oakvale, and if you had stayed, you'd be as dead as the rest of them." He watched us as we began to show our more emotional, vulnerable side. I stayed strong. I have to stay strong until I'm alone.  
"Now come on." He began to walk away, not bothering to look back to see if we were following. I paused before looking at James.  
"Come on, we need to survive. He might really be helping us." I told him. He just let tears roll down his cheeks and followed with me. We watched this man and trailed behind him like lost puppy dogs.  
"My name is Maze, and I'm the head of the Guild of Heroes. You must've heard of it. You'll find no where safer in Albion. Nor a better place to call your home." He glanced back at us. "And if it's vengeance you want, you'll need the training only _we_ can offer." We arrived at a tall building surrounded by large grey bricks and torches. It seemed like a castle, a palace for the matter, of protection. The doors are large and wooden, which reminds me of a fairytale chamber.  
"Here we are. I'll introduce you to the Guildmaster. He'll be your guide from now on." He glanced at us and opened the doors. There are large stairs leading up to a smaller scale of the Albion terrain. There are cards along the sides of it, colored coated cards. The room is a small room with many large openings leading to other rooms. There are two small rooms off of each side: one with a blue light and one with a green. I glance upwards to see a delicate colored glass design with the Albion symbol for a warrior. I glanced around the room, all eyes were on me and James. We received sympathetic looks and some humorous looks.  
"The only survivors. It's a shame is what it is." It made my heart sting to think of such a tragedy.  
"I have two new students for you. Put them in the dorm upstairs with the girl." Maze told an older gentlemen. He looked a lot like my grandfather. He was balding, with fuzzy white hairs on the sides of his head, the back of his head, and around his lips. He looked us over.  
"You two don't look much like Hero material to me, but Maze knows what he's doing, I suppose." He sighed. I glared at him, which he shrugged off.  
"Well, follow me then." He stated and walked up the stairs. I began to follow him slowly, but took a moment to glance back at Maze, who watched us walk up the stairs. He just nodded to me, because I knew James wasn't looking at him, and I turned away.  
"You two will be sharing this room with Whisper, one of our brightest young pupils." The guildmaster said as we entered the room. It was a rather large room, larger than my home's one and only room, with a bright red theme and luxury beds instead of planks with blankets.  
"But you'll meet her in the morning, she's down in the library studying. You need to get your sleep, tomorrow starts your extensive training." He said and walked away. James sat down on one bed, and I sat down on the other, leaving one more for this mysterious room mate.  
We sat in silence for the longest time.  
"We only have each other now, James." I told him. He looked up. His eyes watered, which made my eyes water. "We'll be okay. I know we will."

_We have to be. For our family's sake.  
__For revenge's sake._

[I also know I'm not a very good writer, so please bare with me. I tend to move too fast]


	2. Real Weapons and Karma

"Come on, wake up!" I heard shouting above me. I shot out of bed and hit heads with a girl above me. I rolled out of bed and we hit the ground at the same time, moaning in pain.  
"I'm sorry." She said.  
"Me too. Who are you?" I asked. She stood up as I did.  
"My name's Whisper. You must be my new room-mate, as was the boy. Had the room to myself until now, but that's all right."

"My name's Lillian. You can call me Lilly if you like." She smiled sweetly. She had dark skin, and wore the same attire as the rest of the people here in the Guild of Heroes. She wore white-cream colored clothes. She wore a skirt with blue edges, a shirt with a v-neck, also with blue edges, knee high boots the color of mud, brown gauntlets and a cloak over it all that only came down to her elbow.  
"We better get going before the guildmaster gets angry. You don't want to be late on your first day. The boy is waiting downstairs for us." She said and we began to hurry down the stairs.  
'_James always was an early riser_.' I told myself. In the map room, the very enterance of the Guild, no one was to be found.

"Looks like they got tired of waiting. They're probably across the river at the training grounds. Just follow this corridor outside, cross the river and make a right. You should see him." She said, waved goodbye and headed off. I looked around nervously and began to take her directions. I kept getting odd stares, probably because I hadn't received a uniform yet, but also because of the Oakvale raid. Last night, I had cried myself to sleep, silently, of course. My one and only responsibility was to watch my brother, and now he was gone.

I deserved to be dead, not him.

I finally arrived at the training area, where James stood in a dirt circle surrounded by fence as he punched a straw dummy with red targets on its face and stomach.

"Try using this, now. Let's see if you do more damage with that." The guildmaster stated, holding out a wooden stick. James eyed it warily, but accepted the challenge. He swung the stick powerfully, and eventually destroyed whatever was left of the dummy. As the dummy fell to the ground, so did several green orbs.

"Ah, now that's more like it. When you destroy an enemy such as this dummy, it drops experience orbs." I walked up silently and listened to the conversation. "It contains the knowledge learned from the battle you just had. If you don't pick these up, well, you just won't learn anything and it defeats the purpose of the battle." He explained. He took a glance over his shoulder, then looked back to the ring.  
"I see you've finally found the time to join us, Lillian." He stated. I rubbed the back of my neck and glared at James for not waking me.

"I'm sorry, it was just a long night and I-"  
"Don't worry about it, just enter the ring. James, you can come out now." He interrupted. I sighed with agitation and entered the dirt arena. From the ground, a new dummy had sprouted. I gave this dummy an odd look.

"I want you to hit that dummy as hard as you can, and don't stop until I say so." He stated. I stepped away from the dummy, physically refusing the task.

"Lillian, to become a Hero, you must learn to fight. This is the only way I can legally allow you to practice." He said. "And if there's a problem with you hitting another person, then just imagine your hometown of Oakvale."  
I glanced at him.  
"Imagine the man that killed your mother. I know there's resentment in there, and I want you to picture this man as this dummy." Taking his advice, I looked back at the dummy. The picture was clear in my mind. The man that took my mother and brother's lives. And with that, I began punching the dummy with as much force as I possibly could. I felt uncomfortable with James watching me, although I wasn't sure why. It just felt weird…

"Alright, you can stop. Unlike James, you actually have a swift one-two. Try attacking the dummy with this now." He said, holding out a stick similar to James'. I accepted the stick and struck the dummy with it with as much muscle as I could. In that one swift hit, the dummy exploded into straw and experience orbs. I smiled a little to myself. Outdoing James was one of my few pleasures.

"Alright, brava." The guildmaster smiled. "I assume you overheard James and I talking about the experience orbs, yes?" I nodded, even though I was aware he knew the answer already.

"Wonderful. I want you both in there for a little bit and each of you get a dummy. Keep attacking them until I say stop." He said as James entered the arena. From the ground, two new dummies had erupted. I furrowed my brow, and ignored the fact that dummies don't grow and reproduce in minutes.

Hours had passed before we knew it, and several dummies had been replaced. Day turned into night, and soon, Whisper had joined us in our melee combat. The guildmaster eventually left us to our training and went with Maze back to Oakvale to assess the damage. He finally had come back and stopped us from destroying any dummy they had left.

"Okay, alright children. You're done for the day. You can begin your book work now in the library. Or not. However, you're done here. Tomorrow, we'll continue our work with melee combat. I'll see you in the morning." He exclaimed, and walked away. James and Whisper decided to go straight to the library, but I decided to head straight to bed. Life was going to be tough, especially now. I had to emerge strong for James, and Whisper too, and not let my vulnerable side make an appearance to anyone.

Day turned to night, and night turned to day. Eventually, weeks started passing by, then came the months. Chapters of my life were slowly fading, falling away into the darkness. I was 10 years of age when I first came here, now I'm 16 years old. James is also 16 years, and Whisper is 15. We had finally become apprentices, just as Maze had anticipated.

James says that I've changed a lot since we arrived. Well, I'll give him that. I have changed. I've now grown taller, which makes Maze look not as gigantic as I first thought, and I've become "fuller" in places that I wasn't as full before. My used to be short black hair has now grown into beautiful black locks that fall just below the top of my rib cage. I've started wearing kohl around my eyes to give myself a mystifying, yet stunning appearance. Now that I've been given my apprentice outfit, I wear that with the hood up, even though the guildmaster dislikes it. I've taken on my womanly appearance, and now I'm of age where I am one.

The kohl around my eyes helps hide the tiredness of my late night training. While my room mates are sleeping soundly, I sneak out of our room and head to the training arena where I practice on the dummies left around the tree for this purpose. The guildmaster says that we've mastered melee combat for the apprentice level, and the rest of our training will come from battles outside the walls of the Guild. I still felt like I wasn't prepared enough however.

James, too, had changed over the years. He had begun to grow out his short, dark green hair into a pudding basin cut. His normally grey eyes began to turn into a blue color, similar to his fathers. He had grown at least two inches more than I did, and now he's much taller than me. He also began to loose his extra weight, and thinned out. James was beginning to look, dare I say it, attractive.

But I digress.

I woke up early in the morning, and decided to wake James up as well. Crawling out of bed, I changed into my clean apprentice clothing, and placed my feet firmly. Taking a running start, I took a flying leap at James' bed and landed on his back. He screamed out of shock and we both fell to the floor. I burst into laughter as he gathered himself and tried to figure out what was going on. Finally, he furrowed his brow sarcastically and struggled to keep in a laugh.  
"Evil. You're going to be an evil Hero, aren't you?" He asked mockingly. I stuck my tongue out.  
"Well Mr. I See Into The Future, maybe I will just so you can be right about _something _in your life." I retorted playfully. He grinned, as did I, and we laughed together. I sat up and leaned against his bed. He stood up and laid back down.  
"Oh no, we're going to be late again. You're getting up." I stated and grabbed his bed sheet, dragging him out of the bed. He mumbled something incoherent.

I rolled my eyes and began to walk backwards and down the stairs into the map room; he seemed unaware of where I was taking him, and he could care less. I grinned as the other older apprentices watched. Nora, one of the servants, even gave me a thumbs up as I left the map room and headed towards the river. While sliding James out of the map room, I caught a glimpse of Maze walking his way over towards the enterance. He gave me a curious glance as I hurried out of his sight. He'd probably get me in trouble. Maze had turned into this fatherly figure to James, but I was still iffy about him. There was something about him that I just didn't like.

I headed towards the training area and stopped in front of the bridge.  
"Are you going to get up?" I asked him. He said nothing, so I grinned and took that as an, "Okay, you have my permission to throw me into the river." Grabbing the edge of the bed sheet, I used one forced pull and threw the sheet, along with the sleeping boy, into the river. There was a loud splash, followed by laughter from my fellow peers. James surfaced from the water and glared directly at me. I gave him an innocent grin before turning around to high five Nora. She gave me a quick cringe before saying, "Maze is coming," very silently. I sighed quietly before feeling my hood get tugged. Suddenly, I was surrounded by fish and cold water. COLD… water. I fought to swim to the top and as soon as I did, I heard laughter followed by comments similar to, "Good one, James!" and "Karma's a bitch, isn't it?" I turned to glare at James, but I could only laugh and nod proudly to him. We then began to water wrestle, and dunk each other in the water. Soon, there were more splashes into the water, and more people floated up from the river's depth. I grinned and laughed, along with James, before we slowly felt the cold air of November creeping down our bodies. We looked down to see we were floating into the air. Glancing at each other, we slowly floated over the ground, where we fell straight onto our behinds. We both looked up to meet Maze's censorious, slanted eyes. James pointed to me. I looked over at him, then at Maze, and gave an childlike smile. He just gave an exasperated sigh.

"Oh, you can put those sticks away. Today, we begin training with real weapons." The guildmaster greeted. James and I smiled at each other; we were beginning to complain that fighting off dragons or something related to that subject would require something flame resistant. "Take your pick from the choices I've laid out in the arena."

James opened the gate and ushered me and Whisper to go in first. I gave an approving smile and curtsied for him, just to be playful before I kicked his ass in the arena. We walked over to the cabinet, and instantly, something caught my eye. It was a long sword with short, jagged edges near the hilt, directly where the fuller should be. It was a wider piece with sharp, short edges. The hand guard was a large, medieval designed metal piece with a ruby in the center. The grip was beautifully wrapped in black leather, and the pommel was a simple edgy design with the same theme as the rest of the sword. I picked it up off it's holder and let the sun shine onto the blade. The rest of the world seemed unimportant with this sword in my hand. It was a double-edge sword, so it had no back.

Bottom line?

_It was beautiful. _

"Alright children, these aren't the weapons you'll be practicing with." My heart dropped. "These are the weapons you'll keep. Like a goal, you get the privilege of using this weapons when you are prepared. For now, just get used to the weight of these weapons." He said, and handed us all Iron Long Swords. Not very flashy, just a blade and a hilt. I held it loosely.  
"I want you three to get used to the weight of the sword." He said.

"But it's so heavy." Whisper complained. I wanted to smack her for whining. It wasn't even that heavy, and James agreed too. I could see it in his eyes, and the fact that he was holding his sword like a toothpick. I set the sword's point onto the ground and leaned against it.

"First, you'll practice on dummies, probably for a week, and then you'll go head to head." The guildmaster explained. We all nodded, and made our way to the practice dummies.

_This is going to be _way_ too easy. _


	3. A Real Archer and a Heart to Heart

More months came and gone as we entered into the month of April. That means my birthday would be coming up soon. I hope dear ol' James doesn't forget again this year. He was bad with dates.

But today was going to be an excellent day.

Today was our first day of Archery.

I couldn't be more excited. My mother and I would use a slingshot to get keep the chickens away from her daisies. And I knew I would one-up James and Whisper, I just _knew_ it.

"Wakey wakey, Jamie-pooh." I called to James as I put on my kohl.

"Ugh… no. I'm still asleep."  
"Indeed, but I'm not. So, doing math over here, you must entertain me." I replied. He responded by rolling over and facing the wall.  
"Aw, who's being Mr. Grumpy Pants?" I pouted sarcastically. He didn't respond, so I sighed and left the room, heading to the tavern to grab a bite to eat.

Soon enough, James had woken up, late, and arrived to Archery. The guildmaster was also late, but it didn't seem to bother him, or us for the matter. Behind him, not too far behind, was Maze.  
"Today's our first day of Archery. Maze is here to observe and see how your training is going." He stated. Maze nodded in response. "We'll start with a Yew Bow." He said and nodded his head over to the quivers and bows set out for us on the fence. Behind the fence were targets and wood with mountains and trees painted on them: there stood a perfect archery practice court.

"You all know how to use a bow, correct?" He asked. I nodded, as did my fellow peers. I grabbed a hold of the bowstring and the riser to test the flexibility of the bow: a little something I learned in my late night research. It seemed to bend alright, so I was pretty happy with that. As I looked over the delicate design of the compound bow, I looked at the back of the archery court to see one target that moved left and right. I grabbed an arrow from my quiver and placed it on the bowstring. Pulling back the bowstring, I aimed for the back target. I closed my right eye for a better aim, and released the arrow.

_Thunk._

"Bull's-eye." James stated in awe. I grinned. "Do it again."  
Repeating the process, I landed another two bull's-eyes. The guildmaster looked over at me and smiled.  
"Bravo, Lillian! You must be a natural born archer." He stated. I grinned. Maze, however, was giving me a curious look, as if he were confused. I chose to ignore it and pull out another arrow. Spinning the arrow on my fingers, I finally placed it in position and aimed for the first target, the one closest to us. I pulled back the bowstring and released it. The target head exploded into straw and experience orbs. I grinned as they floated over to me and evaporated. The entire day we spent at the archery practice arena, even though I clearly wasn't in need of archery lessons. Whisper, however, needed all the help her poor soul could get.

As of now, I was sitting alone on the beam bridge railing between the Will practice area and the archery and melee practice arenas. I was just sitting there, facing a rock wall, alone with my bow. I pulled an arrow out of my quiver, placed it on the bowstring and aimed my bow into the sky. Just as a bird headed over, I released and the arrow stuck the bird and they fell into the water together. I sighed nonchalantly. Not too much longer until I was a Hero. Then people would rely on me, and I know that I'd let them down. Just like I let down Blaise and my mother. It was my job to protect them, and I was in the crop field playing with James' sister instead of watching over Blaise like I was told to do. He was only 7 years old. If he was alive now, he'd be 13 years old. I felt terrible about the entire mess.

Setting my bow down, I placed my head in my hands.

If maybe I had invited Blaise to come with me to see Theresa, he might be alive.

"You seem troubled." A voice came. I leaned upward and looked to my left. Nothing. My right, Maze stood there and as soon as I spotted him, he placed his hands on the railing. I looked away from his blue eyes and into the river.

"Oh, I'm fine. Really." I lied.

"Lillian-"  
"Call me Lilly." I interrupted. He sighed.  
"_Lilly_… I've known you now since you were only 10 years old. You're going to be 17 on April 14th." He stated. _How'd he know?_ "I'd like to think that by now, I know when you're lying to cover something up." He told me. I looked away from him.

"If you don't want to tell me what's wrong, then that's fine. It's probably none of my business, but don't lie to me."  
"I don't want to be a Hero." I told him immediately. Silence fell between us.

"Excuse me?"  
"I don't want to be a Hero." I repeated. "I couldn't even save my own family when I lived in Oakvale. How am I supposed to save the lives of people all across Albion?" I explained hastily. "I mean, I couldn't even handle washing dishes and now I have to keep strangers alive?"  
"Lilly, please, just calm down."  
"And what about a home after this? Will I have time to buy a home? What about a family of my own? Do I want a family? Will I have time for a family? If so, how many kids? How will I afford the house payment?"  
"Lillian."  
"And what happens if bandits raid the town I live in? What happens if my kids are killed? How will I afford a funeral? Where would this funeral be at? How would I handle the news?"  
"Please just-"  
"And _ALIGNMENT_! Don't get me started on alignment! What am I going to be? Am I going to be a good Hero or a evil Hero? If I'm evil, will I be working with the bandits? What about Twinblade? How would my life change? What's going to change? What kind of armor will I use?"  
"If you'd let me talk-"  
"Even if I do become a good Hero, will I be good at what I do? Will I-"  
"_Lillian_!" Maze silenced me immediately with his loud voice. I froze, which made him sigh.

"Look here. You don't have to worry about anything, _yet_. Just focus on your training, and if you need any help, come visit me or the guildmaster." His words put my mind at ease. "The reason I saved you that night was because you have potential. I can see it." He said. I turned to him and caught his gaze.  
"… potential?" I asked. He nodded.  
"When I look at you, I see a Hero. I see someone who may save all of Albion, or perhaps murder half the population." He stated, which made me cringe. "But you're a Hero, and I know you can handle it." I looked away from Maze and into the lake, viewing my reflection off the waters surface. And if was then that I really believed in myself.

I turned back to Maze.

"Thank you." I replied quietly, looking up at him through my bangs. He nodded.  
"You should get some sleep. Staying up late shooting _birds _won't help you any." He stated. I knew he wasn't being sarcastic, but I chuckled quietly anyway. He walked away, towards his quarters, and was out of sight before I knew it.

_Maybe he's not so bad after all…_


	4. Well, Happy Birthday To Me

Days began to pass by as James, Whisper and I honed in on our melee and archery skills. Hard days of painful exercises and late nights in the library for study consumed most of our time, but as soon as more months went by, April strolled by. And soon enough, my birthday.

I awoke that morning near sunrise. I immediately put on my clothing and kohl before hurrying down the stairs, hoping I wasn't late to see the sunrise. Sure enough, I had missed it. I sighed anyway and hurried over to the beamed bridge, and jumped onto the railing.

Since it was a Sunday, we had no training today. I was very grateful for this. I awaited James and Whisper to wake up, and I knew they would be sleeping in. They've been up late studying. I was a natural at learning, so it took them quite awhile longer to grasp the concepts I already knew.

I felt a little sorrow, but I eventually got over it.

I turned around on the railing and faced the rest of the Guild. Happy, go-lucky people were walking around, standing in their apprentice outfits. There was also a tour strolling around the Guild. They began to walk by.

"And we're now passing the servants quarters." The tour guide stated. The people following him were dressed in peasant clothing, and appeared to be interested.

"I wish I was allowed to be a hero." A child stated silently as the group passed. It wasn't until then that I had realized what an opportunity this really was.

I really could save all of Albion.

"And this is the statue of Maze, one of the greatest heroes of all time." The tour guide stated. I looked up at the large statue. And it was, in fact, Maze. I wonder how many things he's accomplished under the title of hero.

"And if you look straight forward, there are Maze's quarters." The tour guide stated. I turned my head to see where he was pointing, and he was pointing to the far east tower. The group continued walking as the tour guide rambled on and on about Maze. I turned away from the group and looked at the water.  
"What a surprise!" I heard. Looking up, I seen Maze in the distance, smiling for the tour group, and answering questions. I turned away and looked into the water. Meeting the eyes of my reflection, I began to wonder about Oakvale.  
Has the town risen from the ashes? Is the population becoming larger? Are my mothers famous daisies growing?

And my mother… was she really dead?

There's got to be a way to know.

Who could I ask about Oakvale? I could ask Maze, but how would I know if he's telling the truth? I glanced back over my shoulder to see if he was still with the tour group. Indeed, he was, so I decided not to bother him. I jumped down from my perch, and headed to my quarters. Luckily, when I arrived, Whisper and James were still asleep. I grabbed my sword and quiver, along with my bow, and headed back downstairs. The guildmaster was not at the front door like I had thought.

_I had to know. _

I sighed out of agitation, out of frustration, and out of anxiety. Throwing my hood up, I headed towards the doors. Feet between me and my exit gradually became shorter, and my heart began to race. I had no idea what consequences I would suffer for leaving without permission, but I had to know. And there was only one way.

My blood raced through my body, the adrenaline began to pump through my arms, and I opened the door.

"Lillian?" I turned to meet the eyes of Nora, a servant whom I came close to in my stay.  
"Uh-"  
"Where are you going?" She asked, walking near. I closed the door.  
"I, uhm… I just… well…"  
"You're not thinking of leaving, are you?" I sighed at her question.  
"I have to know what's going on with Oakvale."  
"Ask Maze, he visits there often."  
"I don't trust him quite yet." I told her.

"Well you can't just leave. The guildmaster would have you head." She threatened, shaking a finger in my direction as a mother would a naughty child. I sighed.

"Nora, I have to go now or I'll get caught. I'll tell you how it went when I get back. Don't tell anyone you saw me." I told her and left, ignoring the fact she tried to call me back. Closing the door behind me was the greatest and worst feeling in the world. I was free to do as I like. I smiled to myself, breathed in the fresh spring air and embarked on my quest to home.

Walking wasn't the problem in getting home. It was the fact I had no clue where I was going. Walking away from the Guild, I crossed through to a statue. After quickly glancing at it, I spotted a sign. It read "Greatwood Enterance." Assuming this would be the correct way, I headed south and entered the forest. It was seemingly bright, and the leaves were very bright and green. The path was clear and filled with wandering traders, looking for a good sale. I smiled to each person as I passed and headed through the stamped-down dirt path. Eventually, I came to a three way fork. The signs read, "Fisher Creek", "Greatwood Lake", and "Orchard Farms." The Orchard Farms enterance was temporarily closed down, and one glance down Fisher Creek told me there were no other exits. Greatwood Lake was my only option. I entered the road path and began walking.

Ahead, I could see and hear the grunts. Trying to get a better look of things, I jogged forward and around the giant tree in my way. I spotted a trader, and a bandit. A bandit that looked strangely familiar to the ones from Oakvale and its raid. I clenched my teeth and ran forward holding my sword. With a punch, the trader fell to the ground and begged for his life from this bandit. I stopped in front of the trader and stood in front of him, holding my sword.  
"Leave him alone." I growled quietly. The bandit laughed.  
"And who do you think I be?" He replied mockingly, with wrong grammar.

"In the wrong place at the wrong time." I replied and pulled back my sword. With a clang, my sword and his clashed. I pulled it back once more and pulled it down with force, clashing with his again. I pulled it back again, and swung sideways. The sword hit his side, and he yelped for pain as the blood gushed from his ribs. He fell to the gruond and cried. I stood courageously and grabbed the hilt of my sword with both hands, bringing the point straight down into his chest. He screamed with pain, and was soon silenced as death overtook him. I placed my foot on his neck, and pulled out my sword, wiping it on the ground before placing it back in its holder. I turned to see if the trader was still alive. Luckily, he was.  
"Thank Avo you arrived! Just in time, my darling!" He screamed out of joy and wrapped his arms around me. I patted his back gently. Cries in the background interrupted my telling him it was no problem. We pulled away and I looked to my left where I assumed the noises were coming from. Ahead were at least 5 to 6 bandits. My heart stopped beating. We just stood there in fear before I chose to react as they came running at us.  
"Run, get out of here!" I shouted to the trader and he began running away to where I had come from. I stood bravely with my sword in my hand. My iron sword… against there hatchets, and katanas, and long swords, and pick hammers, and great hammers. Oh my god, I was going to die.

Appearing strong, I held out my sword and began dashing towards them. Jumping into the air, I brought my sword straight down on the first bandit who dared get close enough to me. He fell to the ground with blood spurting out of his skull, screaming in pain. I then brought my sword around my sides and spun around in a circle, giving me space to pick my next victim. The closest bandit I seen was the one holding the pickhammer. I ran towards him and rolled on the ground between his spread legs. Standing up behind him, he turned around just in time for me to stab him in the chest. He dropped his weapon and cried out in pain, telling his comrades to run. I pulled my sword away and turned around to the rest of the group. With blood on my clothes now from the bandits I had killed in order for safety of me and any passing traders, I stared at them menacingly. They paused for a moment and stared back at me as I glanced from bandit to bandit. The silence was eerie, and enough for them to form a plan of attack.

"Who's next?" I stated nonchalantly. And in one fatal movement, they all jumped.

_Training must kick in, now or never. _

I jumped to the ground and swung my leg towards all of them in a sweeping motion, knocking them on their asses. Standing back up as they scrambled to gather themselves, I pulled my sword down on the legs of the closest bandits, severing them off. I could hear loud screams as I began to fight off the rest of the bandits, until only one was left, and I had my sword point against his throat as he lay on the ground, beaten and bloody.

"Okay maggot, you've got ten seconds to tell me how to get to Oakvale or I'll cut your head off." I hissed.

"Take this path to the Greatwood Gorge and followed the left path all the way to Darkwood. Head through Darkwood until you get to the Darkwood Camp. Then follow through the Darkwood Weir until Barrowfields. Traders there will escort you to Oakvale." He whimpered. "Please don't kill me." He cried.  
"I hope you know this is how you make people feel everytime you try to kill them." I hissed. He continued to bawl his eyes out. Finally, sick of his crying, I cut off his head. I found money lying on the ground beside his body as I the experience orbs that float on the ground. I picked up the money and pocketed it, in case of emergencies. Stepping through the blood and corpses of dead bodies, I headed to the Greatwood Gorge to continue my journey. I had encountered bandits on the way to Darkwood. They had set up a toll in Greatwood Gorge, which I kindly paid. The bandit observed my attire.  
"Guild Apprentice huh? Aren't you supposed to stay there?" He asked. I shrugged.  
"Don't tell anyone you've seen me." I replied.  
"That'll be an extra 5 gold." He stated, holding out his hand. I sighed and paid him the extra.

"How do I get to Oakvale from here?" I asked, just to make sure I was headed the right way.  
"Go down to the Greatwood Caves, go to Darkwood and travel through there. If you hit Darkwood Camp, you're going in the right direction. Keep going south until you pass through Darkwood Weir, then you'll be at Barrowfields. Go down to the grounds where the traders are, and they'll kindly direct you to Oakvale." He stated. I began to leave when he stopped me. "Be careful. There are beasts down there that won't hesitate to hurt you." He gave me some advice, which I accepted thoughtfully before I left.

Upon arriving at Darkwood, I carefully observed my surroundings. The trees were all dead limbs, the ground was a slate grey, and color was ripped from everything around me. It was a dark cold place that chilled my bones. I started to walk through Darkwood, heading towards the Marshes like the bandits before had explained. The only creatures I had come across were Hobbes, and stayed a distance away from me as if we didn't trust each other, but not enough to attack one another. We exchanged wary glances, which I pulled out my sword to show I meant business if we had to fight. Acknowledging their weapons as well, I knew we had an understanding, so I put away my weapon and nodded politely before continuing. I arrived at Darkwood Lake in no time, and the next stop would be Darkwood Camp, and I knew I would be closer to home than I thought.

Wading through the water, I looked at the sun, which was now beginning to fall to the horizon. I wondered if anyone was aware that I had disappeared at the Guild.

And in one sudden movement, I was knocked to the ground in pain. I opened my eyes to meet the hazy yellow gaze of a Balverine. And in that second, I knew I wasn't ready for this. I knew I wasn't ready for the title of Hero.

Lying on my back, I couldn't reach my sword, let alone my bow and arrows.

I was defenseless.

_I was going to die. _

And in the moment I was praying to Avo that I wish I had never left the Guild, the Balverine's gaze left mine to something in front of it. It growled viciously and backed away. I sat up just as it was leaping and was knocked back to the ground harshly. My vision blurred instantly, and a headache began to form. I heard the Balverine whimpering and crying out before it was thrown and died in upon the impact on the waters surface. I twisted and turned, hoping the pain would go away and my vision to clear. Opening my eyes, I could see distinct colors. A deep olive, and a neon blue… neon blue? Maze's tattoo came to mind, and I knew it was him who had saved me. I rolled away.  
"No. Please. Just leave me be." I pleaded as I attempted to stand. I could hear his voice, but couldn't make out the words. As soon as I got on my feet, I had fallen back to the ground. I was too weak to stand. I could feel the blood dripping down my back from my neck. I felt like I was near death. I felt Maze's strong stature pick me off the ground, and then felt the flying sensation as he transported us back to the Guild. And in those few seconds, I had passed out.


	5. Punishment and Arguments

I awoke to yelling. Lots of yelling. As my head began to gather itself, I identified the noises as the Guildmaster and Maze. I believe I heard James too. When I sat up, and opened my eyes, I found myself in a room I hadn't been in before. I looked around and seen a wide desk, a few chairs, long red drapes and murals hanging from the walls with gold embossment, a few suits of armor, and alas, three people. Maze, the guildmaster and James. In the corner of the room sat Nora as well. I could hear my name clearly, and knew they were arguing about me.

"She could've died! You should've been standing in the map room as always, but you weren't and she was given the opportunity to leave. The only reason I knew she was gone was because James had come to me, and when Nora came to me with where she was heading. And when I found her, she was just about to be eaten alive by a Balverine!" Maze shouted.

"It's my duty to train them, not to watch their every movement. And how dare you blame this on me! Have you no respect for guildmasters?" The guildmaster argued. They continued to argue back and forth. Unfortunate for me, I coughed loudly from the blood my mouth, and they turned to meet my nervous eyes. I wasn't sure what was about to happen, and what punishment I would receive. Maze stormed into the room, with the guildmaster not far behind.  
"What were you thinking, leaving the Guild without permission?!" Maze shouted.  
"Now now, Maze. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation." The guildmaster said as he sat down in the chair behind the desk. I said nothing.

"She was going back to Oakvale." Nora interjected. The guildmaster glanced at her.  
"Nora, when spoken to." He stated, pointing to her before placing his finger on his mouth to silence her.

"She's right." I replied quietly. James walked over and sat down next to me.

"Why were you going back to Oakvale?" The guildmaster asked me.  
".. I wanted to see if my family, by any means of hope, were still alive." This statement seemed to upset Maze.  
"You realize that you could've asked." He stated.

"I could've, but I wanted to see it for myself. I wanted to see the progress they've made, to see if the town was rebuilt."  
"I could have you kicked out, you know. Maze could have you kicked out, and you'd be out on your own again." The guildmaster stated threateningly. I lowered my head. "Is that what you want?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No."

"Then get back to your quarters immediately, before I change my mind." I nodded and left the room, heading to my bed, where I would sleep until morning. James followed me silently. When I got to my room, and sat down on my bed, James sat on his and looked at me for the longest time.

"What?" I asked.  
"What did it look like?" He asked. "Was it rebuilt?"

"I didn't make it. I got to Darkwood Lake, but I was jumped by a Balverine." I told him. "If it wasn't for Maze, I'd be dead." And it hit me. I would be dead if it wasn't for Maze.

"I know it's not much of one, but Happy Birthday Lilly." He stated warmly. I smiled gently.  
"Thank you, James." He gave me a small smile before we both turned to our beds and fell asleep.

I woke up in the morning just in time to see the sun rise. I had showered and changed into clean clothing before I walked down the stairs and sat back on the same spot I usually do to watch the sun float over the horizon. It was a mixture of bright yellow, orange and red, which looked beautiful. Over and over in my mind, I imagined everything that happened the previous day. If Nora told Maze where I was, and James told Maze that he couldn't find me, then that must've happened early in the day, so Maze must've known for awhile before he found me.

If he knew in a couple hours after I left, then he must've found me prior to saving me in Darkwood Lake.

We he following me to see where I was going? Was he trying to see how well I've been training?

I continued to think for awhile before I seen the guildmaster exit the building, I knew training would start soon. He walked in my direction, and stopped.  
"I've thought a lot about what you did." He started. I listened intently. "I don't blame you for leaving. You must think a lot about Oakvale, and your family. But if you leave again without another Hero before your training is over, I'll be forced to evict you." He stated. I nodded.  
"I understand. And I apologize for leaving."  
"It's not me you should apologize to." He stated before leaving. If not him, then who? I turned around and looked to Maze's quarters, where I caught a gaze with him from his window. He looked away and left the window.

_I hope he's not upset with me._

I started training early. I followed the guildmaster to the island next to the waterfalls.

"It's time to learn about Will powers." He stated. "To use your Will, think of something that makes you curious, something that makes you strive." He said. I started to think about Oakvale, and why it was burnt down and raided by bandits. "Now, use that anger and anxiety to strike these straw dummies with lightning."  
I raised my hand towards the straw dummy and imagined the lightning. Electricity and fury flowed through my veins. It felt as if all the blood in my body rushed to my palm, and a bolt of lightning shot from my hand and struck the dummy.

"Excellent, now see how many you can strike in a half minute." I nodded to him and he started the stop watch he carried around. I began shooting electricity from dummy to dummy, not sure how many I was actually hitting and continued until the guildmaster said, "Time!"

"Alright, well done, Lillian! You hit 56 dummies in 30 seconds. I'm more than impressed." He stated. I couldn't help but smile. "You have learnt the three hero disciplines, well done. All you have left is your final test. Whenever you're ready, come see me, and we'll schedule a date." He explained. I nodded.

"I think I'll take a couple weeks to study up and practice with this." I told him. He nodded.  
"Whenever you're ready. Send James over here whenever you see him. Tell him I've been waiting." He told me. I nodded, and left to go find my sage haired friend.

After finding James and Whisper, I sent them to the island for their final hero discipline, as the guildmaster calls it. I spent time at archery, perfecting my aim, and then spent time at the library, studying up. I kept wondering about Maze, and what he had done to make him the Hero of Heroes, one of the greatest heroes of all time. I began scanning shelves of books, searching for something that could help me.

Creatures of Albion… The Sock Method… Jack of Blades… Mythical Creatures of Albion… Famous Heroes… Ah, there it is. I pulled _Famous Heroes _off its shelf and headed over to the tables and chairs. I flipped open the cover and searched the table of contents. Scythe… Briar Rose… Thunder… Ah, here he is. Maze. Page 428.

I flipped the nimble pages of the book and opened his chapter up.

"As a child, Maze's parents were killed by Balverines, this Hero was almost near death when-"  
I could not see the words when my eyes were cover with hands. I closed the book immediately, not wanting to be caught reading about Maze for some reason.  
"Guess who?" … James…

"Hm… Whisper? Sounds like a girly voice." I joked. He pulled his hands away and smacked my shoulder playfully. I giggled. I felt cold metal on my neck and looked down to meet the glimmer and shine of a beautiful red ruby.

"It took some convincing, but the guildmaster loaned me some money to buy you a birthday present." He stated as he clasped the necklace chain together. Sitting down next to me, he watched my face carefully.  
"I love it, Jamie, thank you." Jamie was the nickname I had given him over the years. I reached over and kissed his cheek before giving him a hug. He wrapped his arms around my back and held me tight before letting me go.

"Anyways. Whatcha reading?" He asked, looking pointedly at the heroes book.  
"Uh, just.. studying older, famous heroes. Just so I know what choices I may have." I told him. He seemed to buy it, so I decided to leave the room and find Maze. Maybe I should just ask him about his past.  
When I left the room, I headed to Maze's quarters. I began walking up the stairs when I stopped. Was I even welcome to walk into his quarters? Should I wait and look for him outside? If I just enter, he might be upset with me still and argue. I paused for the longest time before turning around and jogging down the stairs. As soon as I left the stairs, I turned towards the river and ran smack into someone. I fell to the ground and looked up, meeting a stare with Maze.

"I, uh, didn't mean to. I just.. I was… looking for you." I stammered. I felt embarrassed. Humiliated is a better word for it. Yes, I was utterly humiliated.

"It's quite alright." He replied and began to walk to his quarters. I stood up.  
"Wait! We need to talk!" I called up the spiral brick stairs and jogged after him. He continued walking.  
"I believe your actions spoke louder than your words, young lady." He replied as he walked over to the large, circular window I caught a gaze with him from before.

"I just wanted to see if they were still alive; it's not that I don't trust you." I told him. "I just… have to see it, I need closure."

"Well, you need something. Perhaps a backbone, or maybe a better set of ears." He stated sternly as he turned to face me, and it was then that I could see his real emotion. "You don't know what it's like out there. You're not nearly complete with your training, nor do you have the proper armor or weaponry to be traveling _alone _in Darkwood. That Balverine could have killed you, and the only way to kill them with the weapon and intelligence you have is with a silver augmentation, and you don't possess one." He was talking very intently to me, and it was starting to piss me off.

"I could've handled it if I knew they lived in Darkwood, it caught me off guard and if I went back then I'd be fine." I retorted angrily.

"No, you wouldn't. You're an apprentice, not nearly as strong and well-prepared as a Hero. You don't have any health or safety related items to be traveling in such a remote area of Albion." He snapped. "You can't afford to be caught off guard as a Hero. One wrong move and you're dead."

"Well, I'm _not_."

"You could've been if I hadn't have been there."  
"Why'd you even bother coming if all you were going to do was bring me back here and yell at me?!"  
"Because it's my job to protect all of Albion!"

I began to walk closer to him to emphasize my point. "Is this how you treat everyone you save? Bring them to safety and argue with them about how they live their life?!" He began walking towards me.  
"Don't turn this into a bad thing! Last time I checked, saving lives was important and well-respected! I will _not _let you sit here and yell at me! You should appreciate what I've done for you!"  
"Well, maybe I do and maybe I don't!" I shouted, pushing his shoulders. I guess something inside of him snapped because the next thing I knew, I had been flipped around twice and pinned up against his wall. He had seized a hold my upper arms and held me there suspended in the air, and he was refusing to let go. I tried to flail out of his grasp, but failed epically.  
"I'm not letting go until you settle down." He said calmly. As much as I wanted to kick him in the gut, I couldn't because his legs were positioned so I couldn't move from the waist down. I stopped trying to free myself and looked away from his dominant eyes. He was right, however; nothing would get solved and mended if we were screaming at each other. I took in a serene breath and calmed myself. After a few long seconds of silence, Maze began to lower me back onto the ground, and gently released his grip. I refused to complain, but he had left deep red hand prints from his tight grip.

"You may not realize, but I saved your life. And if you want me to apologize for that, then it's not going to happen." He said.  
"How.. why did you follow me?" I started. "I mean, I know why you did, but by the time I reached Darkwood Lake, you must've been following me from somewhere at some point." He glanced at the ground.  
"I found you right before you fought the gang of bandits." He said. I sighed nervously. He seen me fight? "I must say, I am impressed with your improvement." This gave me butterflies in the pit of my stomach. "I was a little anxious watching you fight, because I still think you're not ready. But you knew what you were doing, even if it was overwhelming." I nodded.

"I'm.. I'm sorry I left without permission. And I'm sorry if I got you or the guildmaster in any sort of trouble."  
"No need for apologies. As long as your safe, then there's nothing to regret." He replied and turned back to his window. And with that, I knew there was nothing left to talk about. I turned on my heel and left his quarters, heading to mine where I would take a long rest.


	6. Fighting James and Promises

**|Author's Note|**

Anything written in between brackets would be me directly talking to you, meaning if I said something like "[I didn't know how to use this phrase, but I really wanted to. XD]", I'm telling you that I wanted to use a certain phrase prior to the brackets. And I'm also not a perfect author like most people on this website. :[

Ah well. At least I try.

Still don't own anything but this story and it's idea. Don't own Fable or any Fable related products.

**|Author's Note|**

Morning had come, and I immediately woke up, feeling refreshed. After repeating my morning routine of shower, clothes and kohl, I headed to get something light to eat prior to training. It was a very laidback session today. We were allowed to choose what we wanted to work on, and just spent 5 hours to that, then we were done. James and I decided to work on our melee combat, because he insisted I got real world training to help him prepare more. Whisper was persistent on archery, and I promised her I'd help her aim better later that night. Maze observed our training from far away, standing near the servants quarters. I couldn't help but notice he was mainly looking towards James and I, studying our movements as if taken note for a later day.

I decided to bring the issue up to James.  
"Hey James.." I began, swinging my sword to clash with his.  
"Yes, m'lady?" He replied sarcastically.  
I smiled. "What do you think about Maze and his idea of bringing us here?" I asked.  
"I don't understand. What are you asking?" He asked, bringing our swords to collision once more, and bringing my point to the ground with his blade.

"Well…" I stopped swinging and placed my point between my feet, leaning on the sword's pommel. James presumed the conversation was important, so he lowered his weapon and assumed my position as well. "He seems mysterious, doesn't he?"

"To a certain point, yes. But with his renown and stature among Albion, he has to be to stay sane." James replied.

"Something about him doesn't sit right with me. I think he's hiding something." I told him. James just laughed.

"We're talking about Maze, right? The Maze that saved our lives?" He asked sarcastically. I narrowed my eyes to him.  
"Yes, _that _Maze." I growled gently. He laughed, even more amused now.  
"Right, our savior and guru secretly wants to take over Albion, and possibly the world, and keep us as his sex slaves." James laughed mockingly to my statement. I glared in his direction. "Indeed, a fine theory it is."

I pulled my hand back and smacked him across the arm. He pretended to look hurt. Since I wasn't getting a good response from James, I decided to head over to Will and practice some time with that. Unfortunately, James had followed, and I was still in sight of Maze.

"Oh, come on. You know I'm playing." James stated. I put my sword in its sheath.

"I know you are, and I was trying to hold a serious conversation." I replied, forcing hot lightning out of my wrist for my current anger at James at the straw dummy.

"What? About Maze hiding a secret?" He asked. I nodded, aiming my lightning at a different dummy. "What makes you so suspicious?"  
I shrugged, getting frustrated. "I don't know. The fact that when I left, he… well. He just… Something that…" I threw my hands up out of agitation and cursed myself for now remembering any reason at the time I needed it, and James paused. He glanced down at arms, and walked closer. He lifted up the shawl of my uniform, and revealed the large purple and green bruises from Maze's grasp just the other night. I looked away from James' gaze, and met the eyes of the man with the neon blue tattoo. I knew he could see the bruises from his perch far away.

"What happened to you?" He asked. I pulled the shawl from his hands.  
"Nothing." I replied, and begin leaving the Will island for lunch while weaving through other apprentices.

"It's not _nothing_ to have bruises that large on your arms. It's obvious someone had a tight grip on you."

"Alright, it was a bandit, okay? I was on my way to Oakvale when I was ambushed by bandits!" I lied to him, finally getting fed up.

"Why are you lying to me?!" We started to argue before I glared and pulled my hand back to slap him across the face as he lifted his hand up to stop the blow. We exchanged an angry look before I pulled back another hand, in which he blocked. I turned around and pulled my leg up to round-house kick him, in which he grabbed my leg. I then jumped in the air, twisted around and kicked him in the chest with my other leg. He let go of me and fell to the ground as I landed on my feet, crouched in front of him. I stood up as he jumped up. We pulled out our swords and we began to engage in melee combat. Block for blow and blow for block, we sword fought in the middle of the training areas which was strictly against rules. I could see Whisper and other apprentices turning to see what was happening as James and I spontaneously trained. We had no intention of killing each other. It's just what we did. We fought when we were angry at each other. If one of us hurt the other, we'd leave to get them something to mend our problems and promise we'd never do it again, even though we did. He began to flourish as I did, and we still managed to block each other's blows.

Finally, I knew we wouldn't be able to beat each other, so I went to stop the fighting with my lightning. I threw my sword into the ground and held up my wrist. The anger and resentment created a hot blow from my hand, and James countered it by releasing his own beam of lightning. I tried to one-up him by making my stronger with using two hands, as he did. We both seen our arms begin to shake with rage, and finally, there was a loud crackling noise. I yelped in pain, as did James, as we were both shocked by an outsiders lightning ability. Falling to the ground, we both opened our eyes to meet a intent look with Maze.

"We have as little Heroes as it is without you two tearing each other apart." I looked around to see that a group of apprentices had gathered to watch our battle. I didn't realize this as I was becoming aggressive with James. "I hope you know the guildmaster will hear of this unauthorized fight outside of the training arena."

"But we-"  
"I don't want to hear it! Not another word!" He interrupted. It was clear he was watching our battle at first, but something inside him snapped when he saw the lightning we used against each other. And if my lightning was as strong as Maze's, and James didn't counter it, then he would've been in a lot of pain. Thank Avo Maze had stopped us. James and I began to stand up, we glared to each other before we went our separate ways.

He's always a clown when I want a serious conversation, and the one time I ask him for that, and he makes a joke out of it.

I headed straight for the map room, where I would proceed to stand there and stare at the scale size model of Oakvale. Just looking at the small model made me wish I had gone just the few miles further to Oakvale. I felt someone standing behind me, and I knew it was Maze.  
"Right there." I said, pointing to a small house on the map. "We lived right there."

Maze fell silent for a moment. "Why didn't you tell me I was holding you too tight?" He asked as he lifted the shawl.

"Because I knew that it didn't matter. To be honest, I was more focused on trying to kick you." He chuckled behind me. "You made that a little difficult."  
"I tend to protect myself when I'm dealing with someone who could do some real damage." I smiled at his response and turned to face him. He gently placed his hand over the bruise, and could clearly see his hand match the perimeter of the marking.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you, Lillian." He mentioned after some time had passed.

"It's alright, Maze." And it was. I was pretty upset, and he was just trying to keep himself from getting hurt. What was the point in dwelling over something that needed not be dwelled upon? He removed his hand, letting the shawl fall back in place, and left the guild. I figured as much that he would need to do some Hero related stuff, so I didn't bother asking him where he was going. The guildmaster thinks that Maze has been spending too much time in the guild, even for the Head of the Heroes' Guild. He says that he usually spends a lot of time away, hence his legendary status. People look up to Maze, and I think that's a good thing. Everybody needs someone they can count on.

And I think Maze is that person for a lot of different people.

The rest of our days in the training part of our lives were soon coming to an end, and there was nothing that separated us from being initiated as Heroes. Everything was in place, and the only thing left was the final _examen_ (exam in Spanish). Life in the Guild would slowly come to an end. I think that's why I've been acting out. Life in the Guild is all I've known since I was just a child after my family had been torn from my time. I only had James, and the Guild. When I graduate, it's not going to be a full 24 hour access. It's going to be similar to an inn at the tavern. If I needed it, it would be there.

As of now, I was sitting alone on the Will island on the north east side of the Guild. I could hear silent foot steps on the bridge behind me as the moon rose into the air. Next to me, James had sat down and placed his elbow on his knee.

"You do a lot of thinking out here?" He asked. I nodded, kicking my feet in the water.  
"I try." I replied. "It keeps me sane."

He cracked a smile. "Oh, you know you're no where near sane." I chuckled quietly. We held a peaceful silence.  
"I'm sorry, Lil." He broke our stillness. I decided to see if he really knew what was wrong.

"For what?"  
"You know." He didn't even know…

"I do, but do you?"  
"No, I don't. I've spent all day wracking my mind so I could say that I do, but I just don't get it." He complained. I could tell he wanted to argue, so I decided not to let him win.  
"All day, huh?" He gave me a weird look.  
"Yeah…"

"You wouldn't understand, anyway. I don't think anyone will."

"Understand what?" He asked silently.  
"Maze." I replied. He sighed.  
"Lilly, there's nothing suspicious about him. He's just not an open book like me and you. He probably has a lot to deal with. I mean, he's the head of the Heroes Guild, he's a hero himself… the man's got priority." I nodded at James.

"You're probably right. I don't know. There's just something about him I think just isn't right." I told James. James just nodded.  
"I don't think you're right, but I promise, that from now on, I'll listen to you more carefully. And I promise never to fight like that again." I smiled, knowing this wouldn't hold true.  
"Me too." I gave him a quick hug before heading off to bed. And in the morning, I would set a date to take my final test.


	7. Plans and The Final Test

The smell of fresh air and sunshine spoke to me like the wind whispering in the wind. It was a beautiful day, and I had just set the date for my final test. I told the Guildmaster I was ready, and he decided I would take it in one week. I was beyond excited. James, too, had set his date for the same day as me, so we could graduate together. As of now, I was sitting with James on the railing of the beam bridge from the training grounds to the south side of the Guild with the map room.

"What do you plan on doing once you get out of here, Jamie?" I asked my friend. He shrugged.  
"I plan on at least saving a few people and practice fighting real enemies before I enter Darkwood." He joked. I slapped his arm playfully. "What about you?"  
I shrugged. "Go back to Oakvale." I replied plainly. James looked over.  
"I know you miss it, probably more than I do." I nodded in response. "You'll have to let go eventually. I did." I knew that he was saying this so I'd stop thinking about Oakvale. But the scoop was that I could never forget about it. I couldn't forget my mother, or Blaise. I should've saved them, I should've done something.  
"I don't think I'll ever be able to let go." I replied. James sighed slightly, and jumped onto the bridge walkway.

"Come on, let's go practice. We've got a test to practice for." He grinned. I jumped with him and we headed over to the melee combat area for extreme training. [Ewwww. On a side note, I just tried to kill a bug, left it under a book for 9 hours, and when I picked up the book, it's legs started moving!!!!! Ahhhh! I hate creepy crawlies…]

Finally, the day had come. It was time to pass the test. James, for once, woke up earlier than me and prepared extra early for his test. When I woke up, I headed straight for breakfast after preparing for the day with my usual morning routine. James and I ate breakfast together, and we headed over to the guildmaster.

"I'm nervous, are you nervous?" James asked me. I smiled innocently.  
"Nope." I replied. He gave me a dumb-founded look, which I just responded with a frank smile. I really wasn't nervous. I was a little more curious as to what our test would be. When we headed there, the suspense finally started to kill me inside.

"Greetings, Guildmaster." I greeted warmly as we arrived.  
"Good morning children. Your final test is waiting for you in the Guild Woods at the top of the hill next to the large log. It will be revealed to you there." James and I began to walk to the guild woods when we were stopped.  
"Uhm, James. One at a time, so you'll have to wait here." He told us. James looked to me.  
"Good luck." He smiled. I grinned and left him, heading for the woods.

Upon entering, the woods had changed last time I had seen it. A couple trees had grown, and a few more logs were lying on the ground. I pulled out my sword and pulled the point through the dirt, creating a line as I began walking up the short hill, kicking my feet playfully and giving distance to some currently airborne sticks. When I arrived on the hill, and walked to the log, nothing was there. I glanced around curiously.

'Maybe I'm missing something…' I began to look around when I heard a twig snap. I instantly snapped my head to the sound and walked over carefully. When I didn't see anything, I turned back and met the eyes of Maze.  
"I suppose you're wondering how you pass the final test then?" He stated simply. I nodded as I headed over to him.  
"Well, yeah. Can't pass a test that I don't know about." He offered a small smile.  
"It's simple, really. Defeat me using all you've learnt in the past few years." He declared. I rose my eyebrows.

"You want me to attack you?" I asked. He nodded, and I shook my head in response while sheathing my sword. "I'm not doing that."

"Why not?" He asked. "If it's about hitting another person, I'm almost positive we've discussed that."  
"No, it's about hitting _you._ I won't strike you." I replied.

"You don't seem to have a problem attacking James." He retorted plainly.

"Well James is a bonehead. I'm entitled to thumping him." I answered. Maze found this to be comical. He chuckled, which made me smile a little. "But I'm not going to attack you."

"What are you worried about?"  
"I just… don't want to hurt you." This seemed to make him laugh a little.

"I can promise you that there's no way you'll hurt me." He stated matter-of-factly. I sighed.  
"All right." I finally agreed, which seemed to ease Maze.

"We'll start with your sword. Hit me…" he smiled slightly. "If you can." His taunt made me smile, and eased my mind about striking him as I unsheathed my iron katana. As soon as I pulled it out, blue engulfed his body and he disappeared.

'Why would he do that to me…' I questioned angrily.

"Cheater!" I yelled out sarcastically, and felt his presence behind me. I pulled my sword back and spun, my blade meeting his staff with a loud clash. I proceeded to bring my blade around and strike again, meeting his once more. We continued to spar for a short period of time before he warped once more.

I paused for a moment, and closed my eyes. My intuitive sense of hostility and danger always alerted me when I was engaged in battle. It gave me a sense of direction towards the nearest target. I awaited silently as I listened for Maze.

And there it was.

I could feel his energy radiating from behind me. I turned around and met his gaze. He gave a smug smile as I ran over and we began to exchange strong blows.

"I can tell you're holding back." He remarked as he blocked another attack. I had yet to defeat his blocks. I nodded in response. He grinned mischievously. "Don't."

I smiled and took this opportunity to give it my all, and began to thrust the blade harder and faster than before. It was hard to keep up and learn Maze's fighting style, but before long, I got the hang of it. My blade had no back, which was easier to swing back and forth. As I would do that, Maze would just turn his staff to each direction, and hit the weak part of my sword: it's fuller. When he would hit that, the blade would bounce back and he would be able to tell my next movement. In order to trick him, I would have to spin after I hit his staff.

I hit the left side of his staff, then the right. He used his technique to block my attacks. When I hit the left side again, I spun around and aimed my blade straight for his side. He quickly moved his staff and hit the point of my sword, knocking the hilt out of my hand. My sword flew out of reach and into a nearby tree. Both of us were panting.

"Very clever, Lilly." He remarked and teleported away again. I smiled at his use of my nickname instead of calling me _Lillian_. "This time, hit me with your bow. Don't get too close now." He stated. I heard his voice on the other side of the river, and knew it would be impossible to hit him with my sword. My lightning was still too erratic to be able to aim well enough to hit him anyway. I left my sword as it was and pulled out my bow. This part would be way too easy. Placing an arrow on my bowstring, I pulled the bowstring back and looked around the forest. I spotted him and quickly aimed and released the arrow. I heard a _thunk_, and immediately hoped that I missed. There was a silence, followed by the sound of Maze warping to another place. I could feel his presence behind me, and turned around. Instantly, I seen the arrow sticking out of his upper arm. My eyes widened.

"Excellent. Now cast lightning at me." He stated as he pulled out the arrow, his face showing a painful expression as he clenched his teeth when the arrow was jerked from his arm.  
"But Maze, your-"  
"Nothing. It's just an arrow; don't fret over it." He relied, throwing the bloody arrow to the ground.

"A-are you sure?" I asked, stuttering slightly. He nodded, teleporting away to heave the conversation into the garbage can. I closed my eyes and listened for his presence. I could feel his energy down the hill, and turned instantly, opening my eyes and aiming my palm at him, striking him with a powerful blast of lightning. As the lightning roared towards him, he used his magic to create a blue barrier around his persona to protect himself. I felt a little safer using my lightning, so I continued to blast him as he teleported all around the woods. Eventually, he warped next to me, so I stopped casting my magic at him.

"Quite impressive for a novice." He stated as he withdrew his weaponry. "You'll fight in real battles rather more fatal than this later on." I nodded in agreement and awaited to hear whether I had passed or not.

"But you've passed, and you're ready to receive your Guild Seal from the guildmaster." He stated. I couldn't hold the joy in, and I shrieked happily, jumping onto Maze. It startled him immediately before he realized that I was only hugging him, and not trying to attack. He patted my back gently.

"Send in the boy, and don't tell him what the test is. I'd rather him be caught off guard like you were." He stated and waited patiently for me to get off him.

I jumped back onto the ground and glanced at his bloody upper arm. "Are you okay?" I asked. He looked at his arm and nodded without an expression.  
"Fine." He replied blankly. I nodded and left the woods after retrieving my sword from the oak tree. It was painfully obvious he didn't want to talk about it, and I felt bad for being such a great archer.

Upon leaving, James was still waiting at the front for me. He looked directly over at me. I smiled brightly and screamed out of pure glee. He grinned and yelled with me as I jumped onto him. We began laughing happily, and I could see a glimpse of a smile on the Guildmaster's face.  
"I passed! It's your turn now!" I grinned as I jumped down. He smiled at me. "Good luck, Jamie." He waved a hand as he walked away, and I'm almost positive he felt confident. An hour had gone by as the guildmaster and I waited in silence. Finally, James had turned the bend and arrived back. He had a look of sadness on his face.

"James, did you pass?" I asked. He looked up at me with sad eyes as he put his hands to his side.  
"I…" He threw his hands in the air victoriously "… _made it_!" He yelled and I jumped onto his persona again as we celebrated happily, and loudly. I was too busy celebrating with James to see Maze arrive from the woods and head over to the Guildmaster.  
"You picked fine young children to join the guild, Maze. I have to give you that." The Guildmaster remarked as they watched us fall to the ground by accident and tumble around, roaring with laughter.

"I knew they had potential, and I knew we'd be standing here at some point." Maze replied. They held a silence as they watched James and I tussle playfully on the ground. "Set up the arrangements for the ceremony at sunrise tomorrow, and I'll get their Guild Seals."

_James and I were going to be Heroes, starting tomorrow. _

And I couldn't feel more prepared.


	8. Graduation, Goodbyes and the Wasp Menace

"Let the apprentices approach." The Guildmaster announced as James and I walked forward to him, along with Maze standing beside. As we stood before him, and in front of every other apprentice, we stood proudly. "For many years, since you were children, you have worked hard and loyal as you earned the title of Hero. Today, you have successfully exceeded and completed hard exercises and a final test. You will venture out into the world and commit great deeds for the people of Albion that will either bring the gratitude of thousands, or strike fear into their hearts." I could literally feel James cringe. "These are dark times, and strange winds are blowing, shadows are casting over the land. Your choices will affect the face of the Earth whether or not they are evil… or good." His speech had ended, and he pulled two devices from his pockets.  
"Now! Take your Guild Seals, and venture forth as Heroes!" He announced, and applause had erupted in the Chamber of Fate, the oldest part of the Guild. I gratefully accepted the Guild Seal and turned to face the apprentices.

James and I were Heroes now.

The ceremony was surprisingly short, and when it had ended, James and I were standing in the map room, waiting for the Guildmasters final words.

"It's time for you two to leave the Guild, your home for almost 8 years." James and I glanced at each other.  
"It's been an eventful couple years, and we're sure not to forget them." James grinned apologetically, sad to be leaving. "It feels like it's only been a couple months, really."

"Even though you won't be living here anymore, you're still very much part of the Guild. On the map table, you'll find quest card, coated by color of severity, that the people of Albion wish Heroes to perform. And you'll need to visit regularly to focus all your experience into new skills if you wish to advance as a Hero." He stated, and walked over to the green little alcove in the map room. "In here is the area where you can choose where you'd like to advance in.

"There is little else I can teach you, but I'll always be around to offer you guidance. And your guild seal will allow me to communicate with you at all times. Each of you have a special pack of supplies that our servants have created. It'll be enough for awhile until you can survive on your own." And in that instant, James and I were handed packs with tight straps so nothing falls out when in combat.

"I wish you both the very best." He exclaimed and walked away, most likely heading to his office. James and I then looked at each other, and cheered.

We were finally Heroes.

"What should we do first?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"I'm not sure, there's so much we could do." He replied, then looked at the map table. "Let's take a quest."  
"Already?" I asked. He nodded.  
"I'm excited, and I want to start helping people."

"You do that while I wait a little when I choose what I'm going to do." I told him. He shrugged.  
"Alright. I'll come back after I'm done. Just wait for me, okay?" He asked. I nodded.

"Okay." I replied, smiled at him, and left the map room and headed for the gardens.

I was excited, because James and I had finally gotten the "okay" to leave the Guild and do good deeds. I don't want to be an evil Hero, because it just doesn't seem like a good thing to do. I don't want to cause people the pain that I had to go through with Oakvale. The Oakvale Raid was a terrible thing, and I didn't want some other kid to get their family taken away. Then be brought here by someone they didn't even know, and basically forced to become a Hero. Although, I didn't really have any complaints. I had a savior, someone I could always count on…

_And I had yet to thank him. _

Does Maze know how much I appreciate him? For everything? For saving my life numerous times, and encouraging me to keep going?

I decided to not think about the matter anymore, and rather act on it. I jumped off my perch on the beam bridge, that had become one of my favorite spots, and headed to his quarters. I walked up the spiral, stone staircase and entered. He was standing at the large, circular window he usually stood at, and knew it was I who had walked in the room.

"Yes?" He asked. I tapped my wrists together as a nervous habit.  
"James and I were just about to leave, and I just wanted to… uhm, say goodbye." I told him. He nodded.  
"I guess I'll see you around then." He replied. I walked closer to him.  
"I also wanted to see how your arm was." I added. He turned around to face me.  
"It's healing. You've got quite the archers' arm." He stated. I smiled a little.

"So I've been told." He offered a gentle smile, one I, and probably most everyone else, don't see often. "There's actually more to this short visit than I really thought there'd be." My statement seemed to confuse him slightly.  
"I also wanted to thank you… for saving my life in Oakvale, saving my life in Darkwood, and for bringing me here." I could instantly tell this was something he had wanted to hear since day one. "If it weren't for you, I'd either be dead or dying. And I certainly wouldn't be as happy as I am, and there's no one to thank but you.

"You've really changed the course of my life, and I like where it's headed."

"I can't take all the credit, you know." He said. "The Guildmaster gave you most of your training."  
"Yes, but he didn't convince me I had what it takes to be a Hero. That was you, also." I stated. He said nothing to my comment. I gave him a genuine smile. "I really must get going before James knows that I've gone. Thank you again, Maze." I told him, and walked over. At first, I could tell he though I was going to give him a hug, but he seemed to be caught off-guard when I pressed my lips against his cheek. He refused to show he was dazed and stunned by my actions. I pulled away, and left his quarters as I headed back to the map room without a second glance.

I spent the next few moments thanking a lot of the people who had been there for me before I decided to leave the Guild and look for James. I also promised Nora that I'd visit her whenever I had free time. As soon as I had given my goodbyes, I left the Guild after reading the Quest Card James had taken. I headed East through the Lookout Point and headed straight to the Picnic Area, where people were screaming. Upon arriving, I seen James standing beneath a large wasp, at least 20 feet tall. I observed James and came to the conclusion that he was having a little trouble. I pulled out my bow and placed the arrow onto the bowstring before pulling back and racing forth to help out my friend. Aiming directly for its eye, I released the arrow. The sound of a screeching high pitch frequency told me that I had hit my target. James looked over and seemed to be relieved that it was me behind the bow. I aimed once more, and shot one of my arrows into it's other eye. The beast had been blinded, yet it's senses were still no match for ours. It headed directly over for me, and James struck it with his lightning. The large insect yelped and cried in pain before falling to the ground and flailing as its body disappeared into a red and black vortex. The vortex was very strong, but James and I stood our ground as it disappeared. We waited in silence as we anticipated more danger, but my remarkable sense of enmity told me there was nothing to fear, and I called out happily. James grinned and I ran over to him.  
"Are you alright?" I asked. He nodded with a smile.  
"Never better. That thing was huge!" He remarked. I smiled forthrightly.

"It was, without a doubt, but you seemed to be having trouble." I stated. He nodded shamefully.

"I… left my quiver and bow at the Guild." He stated quietly. I smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry. I'm sure no one noticed." I stated and we turned around to stand in front of three people, cheering for us.

"You saved our lives, thank you Heroes!" They clapped and cheered with liveliness. I grinned, as did James, to our fans prior to leaving for the Guild. Upon arriving, the Guildmaster was standing in the front of the Guild holding James' belongings, and gave us a knowing smile.  
James turned scarlet. "I kind of left them-"  
"-on your bed." The Guildmaster took the liberty of finishing his sentence as he handed him back the quiver and bow. "No need to worry about it." He said.  
James smiled gratefully. "Good."  
"Oh, and Maze is looking for you two. He specifically mentioned that the both of you report to him immediately." As soon as the Guildmaster had said this, I felt instant anxiety and curiosity. "He's waiting for you near the tavern in Bowerstone South." James and I looked at each other before leaving to meet with Maze.

_Immediately? I wonder if something's happened. _


	9. Buying a Home and Defending Orchard Farm

James and I had left the Guild and arrived in Bowerstone South, where we were removed of our weaponry due to a town law. The town was quite peaceful. Buildings were tall and colored with a deep chestnut brown and slate gray bricks. Children were chasing chickens around. Adults were carrying boxes filled with products and produce to local shops. It was a pretty attractive town, and I felt happy in it.

I could see Maze's tall stature in the distance in front of a run down tenement tavern. I knew he had spotted us as soon as he lifted his hand and beckoned us to come forth. I nudged James, who was eyeing the female population, and pointed towards Maze. He looked away from the women and towards Maze and began walking with me towards our old tutor.

"Been enjoying all of the attention, have you?" He asked as he noticed James looking around at the women again as they passed and eyed him with interest.

"James certainly has." I stated loud enough to catch his mind and advert his concentration to us instead of his female friends. Maze smirked slightly, then let it fade. "Yes, I heard about your encounter with the Wasp Queen. Most of Bowerstone is talking about it."

This bothered me slightly. I don't mind helping people, but I don't like it when people talk about me, whether it be good or bad.

"But, eh, you shouldn't let that kind of thing go to your head." He informed us. James had already let it go to his head, which I knew was bound to happen.

"Anyway, that's not why I called you here. You see, there are dark forces gathering that put your giant insect to shame. Tell me, how much do you remember of the night I took you to the Guild?" He asked, walking forward. "On the raid on Oakvale?"  
"Not much really, just the bandits." I replied as James trailed behind, not really paying attention.  
"Listen up, boy, this is important. Ignore the peasants." Maze complained. James immediately looked at Maze.

"Sorry, it's just.. all new to me." He replied apologetically. Maze just nodded.

"Well, I presume you don't know much about the raid. I assumed that the raiders had killed your whole family, and you were going to be next." He said, talking directly to James. "But it seems there may have been another survivor. _Your sister _may have found a way out_._" I looked keenly to James to see his reaction. He had none but dumbfounded and confused.  
"I'm afraid it's only a rumor, and there's really no way to be certain, but I thought you should know." He explained to James. Maze sighed angrily. "And for pity's sake, both of you need to replace that basic equipment while you're here." He groaned before he teleported away. I turned directly to James.  
"Theresa! She may be alive James!"  
"But it's only a rumor." He argued.  
"Maze is usually right about things, she must be alive."

"What happened to your suspicion?" He asked. I stopped arguing with him.  
"What?"  
"About Maze. How could he possibly know this about my sister?" He asked.  
"James, he was at the raid. He saved our lives."  
"Lil, he knew that my entire family was killed, and assumed I was going to be next. That must mean there was a plan and he knew about it." James argued. I didn't understand what James was saying.  
"What? You think Maze had targeted your family and killing them?" James nodded. "Then why didn't he kill you, and why did he bring you to the Guild so you could have revenge?" He had fallen speechless, and I knew I had won the argument.

"Jamie, I let go of my suspicion because I know Maze had good intention. I think you should do the same." He sighed and nodded.  
"Yeah, I guess you're right." I smiled.  
"I know." I replied sarcastically, which made him smile slightly. "Come on, let's go check out the equipment here and see what we might be buying in the near future."

We spent the rest of our time in Bowerstone that day, checking out products and planning parts of our lives. Luckily, James and I had earned money for defeating the Wasp Queen, and had bought the marital home there. We agreed that both of us were allowed uses for it, mainly in case we had a hard day and needed rest.

"You know Jamie, we probably won't be fighting side by side all the time." I told him as we sat on the floor of our two story home. It was pretty run-down, which explained the low cost, so it wasn't well furnished either.

"You're probably right. I mean, the chances we'll be able to keep up with each other are very slim, not to mention the fact we're both going to be far too busy to see much of the other." I nodded in agreement with him. "Let's make an accord."

"What?" I asked. "An accord?"  
"Yes. No matter what happens to the other, we'll communicate through our Guild Seals and make time for each other, no matter the situation." He stated, holding up the canteen of water he had found in his pack. I held up mine and we pushed them together.  
"Agreed." Taking a drink from them, we both headed upstairs for the night, where we lay down on our beds to fall asleep, eager to wake up in the morning and exercise our title of Hero.

In the morning, I woke up before James, and wrote him a note after preparing for the day with my ritual of getting dressed and placing the kohl around my eyes.

_Jamie, _

_I decided to leave early and head to the Guild in search of a quest card. I'm coming back to our home tonight, so I hope I'll see you there. I can't believe we own a home! _

_Lilly_

I set the note on his nightstand and left the house, heading directly for the Guild.

As soon as I've opened the door, I met eyes with a woman with short black and red hair and circular sunglasses. I walked forward and she immediately greeted me.

"Oh, hello. You must be one of the kids Maze is always talking about." I stepped forward.  
"I'm not necessarily a kid, but sure, I guess you can say that." I replied. She furrowed her brow as she looked me up and down.

"Can't imagine what he sees in you." I could feel the heat in my blood. "Still, I suppose Maze knows best."

"He must not if he knows you." I retorted. She narrowed her eyes at me.

"Maze and I are very close, mind you. It doesn't take much convincing to reassure him he made a wrong decision, especially if you're as important to him as I am." She hissed. I glared in her direction, snatched a random quest card, and left the Guild. As soon as I left, I looked over my mission.

"Protect Orchard Farm. Bandits have been plotting to steal special delivered boxes from Hook Coast, and need to be protected." I felt satisfied with my choice and headed directly for Orchard Farms.

Walking there didn't take much time away from my day, and it was relaxing since I didn't run into much of any trouble. A couple of wasps, maybe some large, overfed beetles, but they didn't put a dent in my overconfident attitude to keep Orchard Farm safe. Upon arriving, I met with the owner.

"Oh, you must be the Hero sent for my quest card." He stated thoughtfully, yet hurriedly. He was obviously Irish, as he wore his green cap and suit. He had a long, thick beard and bright blue eyes. "I've arranged for some backup to help you out, but there are so many bandits that they'll tear my farm apart! I wish we had never found those stones. They've brought us nothing but trouble!" There was a loud explosion in the nearby distance, and I seen the two guards come from the opposite direction.  
"I'll go inside and look after my wife. Thank you, and good luck." The owner told me, and my guard comrades.

"Greetings, Lillian." The guard, shorter and fatter than I had imagined, greeted me warmly.  
"How'd you know my name?" I asked.  
"Oh, we've heard about your encounter with the Wasp Queen, and how you bailed out your friend, James." News travels fast in this wide world…

"But as for now, protecting you and the crates is the important thing. We'll have time to chat later." The taller, more muscular fellow had mentioned as he stood in front of the barn. "I'll protect the barn doors while you two handle them ahead. I'll get the loose ones brave enough to pass you by." I nodded, and ran towards the large group of bandits who had began pillaging the farm. Sneaking behind them, I wielded my bow and aimed for the nearest ones chest. Unfortunate for me, my guard companion had ran straight for them, blowing my cover. I quickly placed an arrow, pulled back the bowstring, and released the deadly arrow, which had plunged deep into the chest of the closest bandit. He screamed instantly, as a reflex, and fell to the ground, gravely wounded. His friends instantly looked over and ran towards us, howling out the infamous bandit cry. I stood my ground, wielding my sword, and turned my head to my battle cohort.

"Whatever you do, don't jump out in front of me." I informed him before pulling back my sword and striking the first bandit who dared near me. I raised my palm and struck aimlessly with my lightning ability. I really wasn't aware of what I was doing, besides the fact that bandits began to drop around me as they fell dead, but I knew that I was manhandling anyone who stepped in my path of protecting the farm. Before I knew it, the group had been conquered. I lowered my weapon and glanced around. All the bandits had fallen defeated. I turned to my protector, even though I had protected him, and he stood there in awe.

"I mean business." I told him. He nodded, still star-struck.

"You really showed them a thing or two." In the background, there was another loud outrage of bandits. I turned back around, overwhelmed with anger and resentment towards the social group that had killed my family many years ago, and ran towards them, teeth bared and claws extended.

With my aficionado at my side, we attacked and killed the waves of bandits that dared entered the farm until there were none left to be sent on the mission of retrieving the stones the farm owner had in his barn. Finally, feeling accomplished that I had saved the farm from an almost certain doom, me and my new aide headed back to the barn. Standing there, we both took a pause and stood speechless and stunned as the guard had gasped his last breath, and fallen to the ground. My guard friend had fallen to his knees as his friend had died before him. I bared my sword and walked forth, feeling crestfallen and angered that someone had snuck past me and murdered a guard who only wished to protect Albion. I pulled back my sword and brought it down with as much force as possible as the slaughterer turned and blocked my attack. I met the eyes of my former Guild Apprentice and friend.

"Whisper." I stated quietly and pulled my weapon back as she stood tall.

"Didn't expect to see me here, did you?" I gritted my teeth.

"How dare you kill a respectful citizen of Albion." I snarled.  
"I noticed you took up the quest, and decided to take up the opposing quest Lady Grey had set down." She replied casually.

"It doesn't bother you to murder an innocent soul?" I asked. She shrugged.  
"It doesn't seem to bother you."  
"I killed those bandits because they've chosen a life of crime and treachery. They deserved to die." I stated, and glanced to the guard. "As do you." Pulling back my sword, I slashed the blade towards her side, in which she blocked. We began to spar forcefully, block for blow and blow for block. I knew we both didn't like each other, even from day one, and held an unexplained repulsion for the other. Finally, I flourished and destroyed her block, and she fell to the ground, defeated with her now gushing arm.

"Damn you. You've beaten me again." She hissed. I held my sword point to her throat.  
"It's the price you pay for the path you've chosen."  
"Unlucky for you, I have a trick up my sleeve."  
"Do you now?" I asked doubtfully, and almost sardonically. She grinned and was engulfed with a blue flame as she disappeared from the scene. I felt the fury boil from my blood and bones.

"_Damn it_!" Much to my dismay, Whisper was still very much part of the Guild, and had passed the final test to receive her own Guild Seal. She could use it to teleport freely. I threw my sword to the ground out of anger, and turned to face the only one left: the now mourning guard. My annoyance and irritation had swiftly turned into sympathy and I walked over to him after retrieving my sword to its scabbard.

"He was a fine man." He stated to no one in general. "Always looking out for the underdog."  
"I'm sure he was." I replied and helped lift him off the ground. I could see a glimpse of dry tears on the surface of his cheeks. We walked grimly back over to the house of the owner.  
"It's clear." I called in after two swift knocks. The door opened.  
"Did they take any of the goods?" He asked. I shook my head.  
"No. All the boxes and crates are as they were prior to our arrival." I replied. He grinned hopefully.  
"I thank you both with my deepest gratitude. I'm very pleased." I nodded, and he awarded us with gold.

"Thank you again, for everything."  
And with that, I left the farm and headed back to the Guild to exchange my experience for new skills. And the entire way there, I couldn't stop thinking about Whisper.  
_She had turned evil, in my eyes, and I vowed to end her contemptuous outlook to the world. I would _end _Whisper._


	10. Following the Boken Road Home To Oakvale

The rest of the day was rather relaxing, after I received my Guild reward for saving Orchard Farm from the bandits, and I spent the rest of my time in the Bowerstone Quay on the docks, sitting on the railing as I used to do at the Guild. I had left James a note in our home that I would be there if he wanted to meet earlier so we could chat. I really just wanted to be alone at the moment, but I knew that wouldn't last long, especially after my task of saving Orchard Farm from the bandits. I had so much yet I had to think about. Oakvale was my top priority for the moment. I had to do a couple of quests so I'd have some money to get a permanent residence there as long as it had been rebuilt, and protect Oakvale. That's what I wanted out of life, I believe. As of now, I was just enjoying the feeling of people looking up to me. I felt like a real Hero, like one of Maze's status. I remember seeing him in Bowerstone South and before we had reached him, women and men alike were fawning over him, madly in love. I just hope that kind of thing doesn't happen to me. I wouldn't be able to handle that.

Behind me, I could feel a presence approach. I could feel the energy before they began to walk forward, but it was a calming yet strangely familiar energy, and I knew it was not lethal. As they neared, I instantly identified them. Correctly, at that.  
"I knew I'd find you here." Maze announced as he stood next to me. I smiled softly at him before glancing back at our reflections on the waters surface.  
"How so?" I asked serenely.  
"I know you by now, I suppose. When you were still an apprentice, you were usually over near the river and waterfall after a hard day's work. I heard about your quest at Orchard Farm from a guard out near Bowerstone North." He said. I nodded.  
"He was hired as well to protect the farm. I can't really say much for the other, however."  
"He told me that his brother was murdered by another Hero you knew, and appreciated the fact you held no mercy as you tried to kill her. Whisper, I imagine." I nodded in agreement.  
"She believed it to be a game, and heeded no interest to the fact lives were at stake. I found it to be my responsibility to punish her for what she had done."  
"The guard had told everyone in town that you were the type of Hero the town of Bowerstone needs around. He's even gotten the mayor thinking about discussing live-in arrangements for you to be the sole protector of the entire town of Bowerstone." He told me. "It's quite an honor."  
I was a little stunned by his news, and found it wonderful for the town to think of me so highly, so well-respected. "I suppose it is." Maze looked over at me by the sound of the apathetic tone in my voice.

"Something bothering you?" He asked. I shrugged slightly, mentally noting the wind was picking up.

"I can't stop thinking about Oakvale, and about Theresa." I responded. He nodded knowingly.  
"I figured that news would bother you." He remarked. "You must think much of your family." I nodded and looked towards the water, letting my hair fall around my face so he didn't have to see the tears now rolling down my cheeks. I paused for the longest time.  
"If I had only invited my brother to come with me, he would still be alive." I replied, the shake in my voice that I struggled with so hard to hide alerted Maze immediately. "That was my only job to do that day. Watch Blaise. That was all I had to do." A silence had fallen in between us, and I had gathered myself.  
"If Theresa survived somehow, there's always a chance that your brother is still alive and well somewhere." He replied. I shook my head.  
"I'm not going to get my hopes up for something that may or may not be true." Once again, another silence shadowed over our conversation. I decided to break the stillness.  
"So, is that what you came here to tell me? About the mayor and Bowerstone?" I asked.  
"I suppose." He replied as we overlooked the sunset, as he now was leaning against the railing casually. I'm not sure what had jogged my memory, but Briar Rose had entered my mind, the lady from before who had insulted me.  
"Oh, and some woman from the Guild, Briar Rose was her name, thought it'd be okay to look down to me, and I thought you should know that she's not alright in my book." Maze began to chuckle softly.  
"Something about her, just _something_, thinks that it's perfectly acceptable to look down to others as long as she assumes she's better than them." He replied. I felt reassured, and smiled kindly once again. "I wouldn't worry much about her, she's much more talk than action."  
"I just thought I'd share that with you." Upon looking at the sky, I felt it was time to turn in. "Well, I'm off to find James." I announced, jumping back onto the docks from my perch on the railing. Maze turned to me.  
"I expect I'll see you again, sometime in the near future." He concluded. I nodded, now smiling brilliantly.  
"I'm sure you will." And with that, I turned on my heel and headed to the most northern part of South Bowerstone, where I would sleep for the night after briskly talking with James. I felt Maze's eyes on me as I walked away, and wondered what had brought this on. I was beginning to have weird feelings about Maze, feelings I haven't had in awhile. To be honest, I was still a little suspicious about him. He seems to be gone a lot, traveling to and from places I haven't been in years and places I haven't even been to yet. I always found a counter thought to erase anything that he might be doing was evil. But there was something about him, something that gave me butterflies. This feeling was always there whenever I thought about him, or even got a glimpse of something that related to him, whether it be a vague or obvious way. I figured it was just a fluke, but now it was becoming more obvious.

Maybe I just needed rest. Yeah… I just needed rest.

I awoke in the morning and found James sleeping silently on his bed. I rose from my bed and found a note on my nightstand.  
_I'm sorry that I've been so busy lately, Lillian. Yesterday, I took a quest to protect Orchard Farms from Hobbes. Whisper was there, and decided to make a contest out of it, so we fought to see how many Hobbes the other could kill. I won, of course. You know me. I'm better than her. _

I chuckled softly at his superciliousness.

_I know that you want to rush back to Oakvale, to see if it has been rebuilt, but I'm going to stay near Bowerstone for awhile. There's a quest card at the Guild. A couple traders want to be escorted through Darkwood to Barrow Fields. If you take the quest card, and make it through successfully, you can travel through and get to Oakvale.  
__Be sure to come back and tell me all about it.  
__And __**be careful. **__I know you well enough that you enjoy the thrill of danger. I'll talk to you in a couple days. _

I smiled, rather grinned, at the note. A quest card that would take me home? It was the perfect idea.  
Prior to leaving for the Guild, I headed over to the armor shop near the front gate to Bowerstone. I talked to the owner, and haggled the price of my new armor down to about 100 gold less on each piece. I had bought bright leather armor. [As soon as I perfect my drawing of the human body, I'll post a picture of what it'll look like on my DeviantArt account]  
I used my Guild Seal to teleport back to the Guild via Cullis Gate. Upon arriving, I quickly grabbed the quest card and looked it over. I began my travels to Darkwood at once. I was to anxious to be getting home to let anything bother me. And time passed like nothing as I headed through Greatwood to the Greatwood Cullis Gate. And once again, I came to the Bandit Toll that had been set up. It was still there, which I found surprisingly amusing. I figured that it would have been torched by now. I walked forward, and the Bandit recognized me immediately.  
"It's you again." He remarked. I smiled and he looked me up and down. "You've changed." He was right. Upon leaving the Guild from my apprentice-ship, I had changed into my leather armor prior to leaving.  
"I've graduated." I told him. "And I'll be needing through."  
"You know the price." He replied, holding out his hand. I pushed his hand down.  
"I'm not paying. And you know why?" I asked, pulling out my sword. His brow furrowed, and he pulled out his weapon.  
"Why?" He growled.  
"Because I don't serve bandits." Instantly, I swung my weapon and severed off his head. Blood sprayed and gushed from his neck and his body fell to the ground. I heard the loud infamous bandit cry from my left and my right. I looked around with a glare, keeping my cool, and charged towards the bandits. Pulling out my bow while I had the chance, I loaded it over and over again as I released the arrows in every direction and watched solemnly as bandits dropped left and right. Every time a bandit would drop, another appeared behind their corpse. Retracting my bow, I unsheathed my sword and swung aimlessly as the bandits neared me. Without sorrow and without tranquility, I slashed everything and anything that got in my path of destruction. And before I knew it, the last bandit had fallen at my feet with blood gushing from the only sword wound in his chest, from where I had plunged the point through his sternum through his heart and straight through his back. Without bothering to wipe off the blood from my beautiful sword, I placed it back into its scabbard and continued on my way to Darkwood.

Arriving at Greatwood Caves, I looked around cautiously. No Hobbes, no bandits, no enemies in sight. I quietly snuck my way through, watching the enterance to the Hobbe Caves and entered the short tunnel that lead to Darkwood. I walked through and met the eyes of a scared trader, standing next to another. They were shivering and clearly frightened.  
"Oh, thank Avo you're here!" He screamed in joy, falling to his knees and breathing rapidly yet relieved.  
"You're not hurt are you?" I asked. The one who was still standing, keeping his cool, shook his head.  
"No, but there are creatures so vile that they wouldn't hesitate to hurt us. Please, just get us to Barrow Fields." He begged, started to look as if he were going insane.  
"Don't worry, you'll be safe as long as I'm around." I replied, and helped the weaker, probably younger, one stand up.  
"Thank you, now let's get going shall we?" He replied. I nodded and stood in front of them, leading them towards the Marshes. Walking down the larger slate hill, my eyes glanced towards a man and he was screaming for help. In front of him sat a Balverine.  
"Wait here!" I told the two traders and ran forward, pulling out my sword. The Balverine caught my ruthless eyes before he ran off at full speed. I knew chasing it would be of no use, so I placed my sword away. The traders I was escorting ran forward.  
"That thing bit me and left me for dead. Please, let me come with you." He begged. My two accompanying contacts decided to put their two cents in.  
"We can't let him come. He's infected! He'll be eating our guts out before we know it." The shorter one, who had had a meltdown earlier, stated.  
"We have sworn a trader oath! We have to help him!" The other one had stated. I listened to their opinions effortlessly.  
"You can come with us, my friend. But I must warn you. If you turn into a Balverine, I'll be forced to kill you." I told him. He nodded.  
"Thank you, Hero." He grinned. We began walking forth, heading towards the Marshes.

_This was going to be one interesting journey. _


	11. Journey To Barrow Fields

**|Author's Notes|**

Hey everyone. Just wanted to thank you for the reviews and let you know I appreciate it. :] And to apologize for the obnoxiously long break of writing. I actually had chapters 11, 12, 13, and 14 already typed, I just didn't get around to posting them, and it completely left my mind for this huge length. Not to mention I had fallen ill, been on medical leave from school so I've been struggling to learn outside of school for a few months. Now that I've received more email updates from the Fan-Fiction Automated Email System thingy, I thought I might come back and try to finish this story for you guys. I got an Xbox 360 for Christmas and Fable 2, so I've been gaming that and wondering about Fable 1. So I played through the game and remembered this story. I'm thinking about switching the entire thing to 3rd person too… Chapter 15 will be in 3rd person, and let me know what you think. I won't continue after 15 until I get some reviews on that point of view.  
Thanks again for the reviews, and I still don't own Fable or any Fable related products. Sad, but true. =[

**|Author's Notes|**

_Getting there_, I thought, _posed a huge problem_. I had three people to look after, one who might turn any moment, and last time I was here, I couldn't even keep myself safe.  
"Stop looking at me! I'm not going to turn!"  
In the background, outside of my thoughts, I could hear the three begin to argue. There was a lot of background noise, if I thought about it. I could hear crickets, Balverine howls, bandit cries, even Hobbes. On top of all that, I could feel so much energy. Energy that was lethal, energy that cried for help, energy that was my own.  
"Stay close." I warned the three, silencing their disagreement and they neared my persona. At remembrance of my last episode here, I decided to tell them what I was afraid for. "Darkwood Lake is home to most of the Balverines, and we're approaching that now. If I tell you to wait, or even run, you _have_ to do so." I informed them. They nodded. And as soon as I had said that, I gave them a full example of what I meant. Ahead, there were four Balverines, hunched over what appeared to be a dead bandit. Great. Bandits _and_ Balverines to deal with…  
"Stay here. Better yet, hide behind those trees." I pointed to a thick arrangement of dead bark and otherwise still, decaying plant life. Urgent to follow my directions, they had scampered off to the array of tree barrier. Not so quietly, I might add. Their thunderous footwork alerted the Balverines immediately. They looked up from their scrumptious meal and met my eyes, only my eyes, with a hunger I had never seen before. I moved forward slowly, not to set off their alarm to attack, and wielded my sword. They inched forward, teeth bared, and snarled threateningly. I'll admit it, I was scared to death. Not only for my safety, but for my accomplices as well. I refused to feel scared, and tried to overwhelm the emotion with anger, anything but fear. I knew they could smell it. I calmed myself into an oblivion state. They began to circle me slowly to intimidate me. I got into my defensive stance and held up loose hand towards the ground, ready to use the new magic I had acquired previously.  
"Don't be afraid. They can smell your fear." I stated loudly so the traders could hear. This upset the Balverine in front of me, and it was the first to lunge. Its speed was incredible, and I had been knocked to the ground. Frantic to save myself, I pushed my sword deep into its chest. It roared loudly and opened its mouth, aiming straight for my neck while digging its claw into my left arm. I swiftly moved my feet in-between myself and the beast and kicked it away from me. As soon as it had been removed, another had lunged forward. I rolled immediately out of its way and brought down my sword. Because it was in mid-air, it could not move out of the path it was headed, and that path was straight for the side of my blade. A loud screech rang in the air as it's face had been split open, shooting blood rapidly all over its friends. With a loud cry of grief and anger, the others lunged at me at the same time. I didn't know what I was going to do, and I froze as they landed on me. I cringed out of fear that I was going to die when I didn't feel any pain. I opened my eyes and looked at my body. I was covered in a blue veil of magic, an unusual burst of energy that I had never seen before. I looked to find the source of my protection, but I was covered in Balverines that had blocked my sight. I rolled over and punched the ground, feeling the magic erupt from my fist and the Balverines were thrown everywhere. One had been thrown against the fencing, another had been stabbed by a thick but sharp branch, and one had been thrown against an old stone wall; I could hear its neck snap as it landed. I did a damage survey, and death had befallen all of them. I then looked at my body. I had no bite marks, but one slash mark from the claw of the beast. I placed my hand over the wound to stop the bleeding. I then looked around the forest for the perpetrator who had saved my life. There was no one in sight, no one except for the three traders.

"Are you alright, Hero?" The taller one asked. I nodded.  
"Fine. Are you three okay? No one shit themselves right?" I asked humorously. Cracking a smile, they seemed to ease themselves a little. "Come on, let's just get going." Without having too much more trouble, we arrived at Darkwood Camp.  
"We'll wait here for a little while until you're ready to go back out, Hero." The infected trader told me. I stopped them.  
"You guys got names?" I asked. Instinctively, the taller one smiled.  
"Yes. I'm Lorenzo, this is Philippe." Turning to the infected trader, he introduced himself.  
"My name's Roberto." I wondered why all these men had a Spanish background, but pushed it aside and let them take a break. I walked with them to the camp and sat down in front of the fire. Placing my sword back in its scabbard, I pulled off my right gauntlet and overlooked my wound. It was approximately 8 inches long, about 1 ½ inches wide, and fairly deep. It was still bleeding terribly, so I removed a cloth I had crammed from my pack and wrapped the abrasion carefully. Securing the knot tight, I closely watched the cloth as it began to soak with blood. The cloth wouldn't hold much blood, and I knew it would need medical attention when we arrived at Barrow Fields. It would have to wait at least a couple of hours and if we didn't arrive by nightfall, then it would have to wait until Tuesday morning.

I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, staring into the fire. I could really use a friend right now. James was the first to come to mind. I wonder what he's up to right now. He's probably just sitting around. James was always likely to be found relaxing. The second person to come to mind was Maze. I knew we weren't technically friends. We didn't share secrets; we didn't plan to spend a day together. He was still like my mentor; always there to catch me when I fall. He still gave me advice, too. I wonder what he's doing right now. He's probably busy with something. He seems like the kind of person to think work is more important than most things. I was the complete opposite of that. It's the little things that make me happy.  
I began to think about the past couple years I had spent in the Guild. I chuckled softly at the water wrestling James and I had done when I gave him a rude awakening. And how Maze had picked us out of the water with his magic. That was one of the better days. I suppose I've had a few good days, maybe weeks at the Guild. And now, here I was, saving lives and protecting strangers just for the pleasure of knowing people looked up to me. Just thinking about it made me smile.  
"You ready, Hero?" Lorenzo asked. I paused for a moment before looking up at him and smiling.  
"Yeah, I think so."

"Arrg! I'm starting to turn!" It fell silent at the camp and we all looked over to Roberto. His clothes began to split and hair was growing rapidly from his skin. His eyes started to bleed painfully as they changed from their green color to a deep yellow. His jaw started to stretch and large teeth sprouted from his gums. Everyone began running to the back of the camp, and I stood up, loading an arrow in my bow while pulling on my gauntlet. I aimed the bow as his transformation finished. He stood solemnly at the front of the camp, and was breathing adversely. It was eerie and silent as we all stood, breathing rapidly, yet quietly.  
"Roberto…" I whispered silently. The beast immediately looked to the moon and howled loudly. His eyes had changed, and he began to inch forward. I read somewhere while I was studying in the Guild about the transformations. Right after they transform, the person can usually control themselves. Maybe I just had to be careful with him, he might still be Roberto deep down. I removed the arrow from my bow and placed it in my quiver, and set my bow on its holder.  
"What do you think you're doing, Hero?!" Lorenzo hissed. I shot up a finger at him to silence him, and kneeled in front of Roberto. This confused him.  
"I know this is confusing for you, Roberto. If you attack these people, I'll be forced to kill you. Just run along before something happens." I stated quietly. Meeting his eyes, this seemed to upset him. He looked around at the people cowering behind me. I knew it had tempted him, because I could see the hunger in his eyes, the longing for his first taste of flesh and blood. It was a silent tense moment as Roberto stared down the prey behind me. Then, he slowly backed away and turned around before scampering off. I sighed out of relief, and couldn't believe I had just pulled off such a stupid, idiotic move before I stood up. I didn't want any attention, so I turned my head nonchalantly and said, "Come on, Lorenzo and Philippe, let's get going."  
They immediately headed for me and we began leaving the camp. The questions began immediately as soon as we left. "How'd you get him to listen?" "Can you understand them?" "Can you turn into a Balverine?" "Were you raised by Balverines?" In attempt to stop them, I stopped walking and turned around to face their shocked and appalled faces.  
"When you're a Hero, you've studied a lot about creatures and their habits. I just knew he would listen." I told them, and made it obviously clear I didn't want to talk about it. They nodded obediently, and we continued our journey to Barrow Fields. The next destination on our way to the popular trading community was the Ancient Cullis Gate. Upon arriving, we had not run into any trouble. I temporarily paused and took a gander at the large circular stone. It had three curved hooks that over looked the beauty. It had an aura to it, a deathly aura. Something about it screamed "death" and I knew, in that moment, that it would make a great impact at some point. Most ancient beings did in their lifespan.

I made a mental note to come back and examine the Cullis Gate. We continued our path and made it to Darkwood Weir. Immediately, I felt strong lethal energy from the path ahead. The traders began walking forward, and I placed my hands on their chests, preventing their movement.  
"Stay behind me." I warned them. Taking a glance at each other, they stepped back and followed me as I walked cautiously forward.  
"Just curious, how do you know when there's going to be danger? You seem to have a knack for it." Lorenzo asked, accompanied by a nod from his partner. I gave a soft smile.  
"You're right. I guess... I just have a _knack _for it." I grinned before stepping forward. Almost instantly, I stopped moving at the sound of rumbling stone. I turned to my trader companions.  
"Both of you, stay here." I commanded. I could see the worry on their faces as I turned to the large hill that led to a cavern, which I assumed led to Barrow Fields. Stepping forth, I wielded my bow. And at the instant, the soil beneath my feet began to shake. I looked down and at that moment, it erupted and a troll had risen from the ground. I fell on my side and rolled away before standing and looking at the beast. The only way to remove this thing would be to not get too close; that would be a rookie move. I would have to use my bow for this. And especially my Will. I grabbed the top and bottom of my bow before tightening my grip. Will had engulfed the bow in a blue flame and small dots began to circle it, telling me that my new magic had worked wonders. I could now shoot numerous arrows that would give more damage without the hassle of reloading. I aimed my bow and released an arrow, which had divided into two separate arrows. They circled the monster twice before stabbing him in the gut. This gave the brute a very unpleasant feeling, and prompted him to begin hurling large boulders towards me. I had to tuck and roll out of the way, before I had the chance to shoot more arrows. It took at least 10 arrows to put a dent in his health before he shook with anger and threw three boulders at me at once. I had to roll forwards to evade them, and this time, I pulled out my sword and ran forth, slashing over and over again.

_And what a rookie move it was._

He raised his fist and threw it towards me, hitting me in the side and throwing me out of his way. I landed on the ground in front of the fence before bouncing and hitting the obstacle. It exploded into sticks of wood beneath me and I had rolled down onto the hill. My side was throbbing with immense pain, and I instantly believed something had snapped inside of it. I groaned, silently praying that I was out of his sight before I stood up slowly. I pulled out my bow, ignoring the fact the Will power had ended and loaded an arrow, pulling back the bowstring farther than I have in the past and released the arrow straight for the monsters eye. I heard a loud thunk, followed by a deafening roar. The fiend cried out in pain before sinking into the ground. I sighed in relief and limped forward, collecting my experience orbs. In place of the monster, sat a large ruby and sapphire. I picked up the jewels and placed them in my pocket to be sold on a later date. Turning around, I looked for my traders.  
"It's safe!" I called out. From 'round the bend, they came running.  
"Thank Avo that's over. Balverines are running towards the end of the Weir! Let's get going." I nodded in response and we dashed through the cave and into Barrow Fields. Upon arriving, I noted the changes in scenery. Color had returned to the grass and trees, the sky was healthy again, and not as cloudy as before, and most of all, I felt happiness again. After sighing in relief that the quest was over, I began walking with the traders to the main community of Barrow Fields. At the end of the bridge, I could see a taller, more muscular fellow standing there.  
"Ah, there you are. We've been expecting you. Thanks for bringing back my two main traders. I appreciate it." He grinned, and handed a bag of gold over. "I hope they weren't of too much trouble."  
"Oh, of course not. They weren't the problem. It was all of those damn Balverines." I groaned, temporarily glancing at my forearm. "But, we got through just fine." He smiled softly.  
"I'm glad." There was a small silence before I looked into his eyes.  
"Which way is it to Oakvale?" I asked. He turned on his heel and pointed straight to a brick arch opening on the side of the field.  
"Right through there."

_And just like that, I was only a few meters from home.  
__And I couldn't be happier. _


	12. Home Sweet Home

Finally, the day had arrived. The day I had waited so long to come. The day I had returned to Oakvale. I was nervous as soon as I had passed under the arch and entered the town. I looked around, and my eyes met the scarecrow Theresa and I had played beside the day of the raid. In a quick flashback, I had seen us. Our 10 year old selves as we played horseshoe. And as soon as I had seen the image, it quickly vanished. On my left, the town had established a Cullis Gate, and I now knew I could use that to get here, instead of traveling through Darkwood. I began to slowly walk forward. When I neared the center of town with the stores, I passed under the roofed bridge. I had another quick picture flashback as I remembered the fire that had charred its wooden supports as James and I ran through while rapidly looking for our families. The wood had been replaced with a stronger wood, but it looked very much the same. I began walked forward and entered town.

Nothing had changed much. As I glanced around, people were walking around carrying on with their lives as if the raid hadn't even happened.

And the feeling came back. The feeling of nothingness, a feeling that reminded me of everything I had lost as a child. The anger behind it, the pain, the resentment. I fell on my knees and my eyes had watered up. Pictures of blood and pictures of fire broke through the barrier that I worked so hard to put up had demolished whatever was left of the pride and soul of my life prior to the Oakvale Raid.

I could vividly remember everything that had happened in those few hours when my childhood had ended and my life began in the Guild. The course of my life was changed drastically, and there was truly nothing I could do about it then. But now, I had power that I could have never imagined. And in that moment, I vowed revenge.

The flashback of houses on fire had ended, and I stood off the ground, temporarily feeling utterly stupid for kneeling down and nearly crying. Now I could truly begin my search for Blaise and my mother. I turned to my left and walked forward, directly towards a guard.  
"Excuse me." He turned around and met my gaze. "I'm looking for someone, but I'm not sure who could help me out." I told him.

"Well, I could help you out, I suppose."  
"Two people, actually. They lived here before the raid." He nodded.  
"I can surely assist you. What were their names?" I sighed in relief.

"A son and a mother, Blaise and Delilah. They lived in the house on the top of the hill." I told him. He began thinking back.

"Yes, I remember. A boy with brown hair; And a woman with black hair. To be honest, I haven't seen either since the raid." He told me, and I felt my heart fall to the ground. "But the woman must be alive."  
It was then that I had never felt so ecstatic about something. "What? Where is she?" He shrugged.

"I can't honestly tell you. But Delilah made those daisies, the special ones. People have still been buying them, but I'm not sure where. She was the only one who could make them." I breathed in a sigh of relief and grinned happily.  
"Oh thank Avo." The guard gave me a weird look. "The woman, Delilah. That's my mother. I lost her after the raid and I've been looking for her ever since." I told him to clarify my emotional liberation.

"Wait, you're Lillian, aren't you?" He asked. I nodded in response.

"Pleased to meet you." I replied and held out my hand. He smiled and shook mine.

"We need more Heroes like you. Feel free to stay as long as you like." He informed me. I grinned and let go of his hand. "Name's Jasper, by the way."

After becoming acquainted with Jasper, I headed up the hill and to my old home. It was obvious it had been bought out by other people, so I knocked on the front door. I had to see what had become of it. A woman with a child in her arms opened the door.  
"Yes?" She asked. I opened my mouth and paused, at a loss for words.  
"Hi. I, uh… I lived here before the raid." I told her. She furrowed her brow with confusion. "I was wondering, if you'd be so kind, for me to… take a look around?" I asked, expecting her to slam the door in my face.

"Please, go right ahead. Lillian, right?" She asked. I nodded, stepping inside. Memories flashed back like an explosion. I looked over to my left and seen the fireplace, where there was black ink splattered on the brick from when I threw my small table at Blaise for ripping apart my stuffed bear. Near the staircase were markings from measuring how tall Blaise and I were, notched into the wall from a cutting knife.

"You're the Hero who saved Orchard Farm from the bandits, right?" The woman asked. I turned to her and nodded. "You also saved my husband. He had gotten lost in Darkwood."  
"Oh, you're husband was one of the traders I escorted from Darkwood?" I asked. She nodded.  
"Lorenzo. He owes you his life." I smiled.

"He owes me nothing. I'm just glad him and his friend were okay." She smiled.  
"Thank you so much, Hero. I don't know what I would've done if you didn't save his life." I gave her the gentlest of smiles.

"Thank _you_, for letting me see the house again. I just had to see it." I paused. "I only wish my brother had gotten out alive." She gave me a soft smile.

"I'm sure he's still alive. A lot of people may have died, but a lot survived. Just like Abigail." The name rang a bell in my memory, and I remembered her instantly. She was the girl who was always loosing her teddy bear to that jerk, Lucas.

"Well, thanks again. I'll be seeing you around later." And with that, I left the house. I stood there and looked up to the night sky, standing on their doorstep. Day had turned into night as my quest had ended. I headed down to the shipping dock. I went to jump onto the bridge's beam railing when I felt a stabbing sensation in my side, a very painful stabbing sensation. I instinctively bent over and clutched my side. The pain was intense, and very alarming. I leaned forward for the longest time, awaiting the pain to go away. I started to stand up straight when the pain started to come back. In attempt to end it, I fell to my knees and released my side gently and slowly. I sat there in silence, contemplating what may have happened to my side. I replayed the events of the battle with that rock troll. It first hit me in my stomach, then I had hit the ground on my left side, bounced and hit the fence, the fence broke and a thick piece of the fence had hit my left side, and I had landed on a huge rock before rolling. It was the rock. I had landed on the rock on my right side, which was the side that was having the pain. Thinking about hitting the ground made my side hurt even worse. I got on my knees and hand, grabbing the side again. I couldn't hold in the hurt, and let out an excruciating groan. I then felt a hand on my back. It startled me immediately and I pulled my hand up and smacked it away, and then met the eyes of Maze.

"Maze? What are-" I began to talk and felt pain for speaking. I turned my attention back to my side and groaned once more. It must be something with my diaphragm; I must've broken a rib. I clutched the area I believed to be broken, and held it tight. Through clenched teeth, I attempted my question once again. "What are you doing here?"

"I came looking for James, because I have news about his sister, but I found you. You're in severe pain." He stated. I don't know if something had pissed me off, but I glared in his direction.  
"_Really_?" I snapped. He heeded no attention to my tone, and placed his hand on my back again.

"Sit up. Let me help you." He commanded. I sighed with annoyance and looked to the planks that created the dock.

"I don't think I can." I replied. The grip I had on my side made talking much less painful.

"If you sit up now, then I can heal you so you won't be having this pain."  
"I'm afraid that if I do, something else will go wrong." I replied. "That rock troll threw me and I think I broke a rib." He paused for a minute, I assumed he was thinking, and he stood up and got on my other side.

"Don't move." He insisted.  
"Why? What are you-" I cut myself out by screaming in pain as he grabbed a tight hold on my side.  
"Son of a _bitch_!" I felt a chilling sensation as he used his Will power to, what I believe, freeze the bone. The pain was intensified, and my instinct forced my hand to grab his wrist. My side was overcome in blue magic, and then switched to a deep red as he then used his Will power to heal the wound. We held a tense silence as he sat quietly and concentrated on my injury. I felt so many things in that moment. His touch was alarming at first, but now that the pain was gone, I felt the butterflies that had been absent all day. The butterflies that made me wonder about my feelings towards him. Finally, the warming sensation of the magic had ended, and I felt refreshed. However, I could tell the immense use of Will had worn him out. I let go of his wrist and placed my hand back on the dock to hold myself up.

"Can you move now?" He asked. I didn't move, and I was at a loss for words. I didn't want to sound like a baby with pain.  
"I-I'm afraid to." I replied, and felt ashamed. He paused.  
"Do you trust me?" He asked. I looked up and met his eyes. I'm usually not good at reading people, but I could see the trace of concern in his eyes.

"I do." I replied. He held out his hand. I was reluctant at first to take it, but I placed my hand gently in his. And in a quick flashback, our environments changed for a moment to the houses that were on fire, the pain and agony that had surrounded us years before, when I had taken his hand in order to get transported to the Guild. The surroundings changed back, and he began to stand up. I let him hold my hand as he stood, but I pulled back slightly when I realized he was helping me stand. He then held out his other hand, and took my free hand in his. And in one slow movement, he had lifted me off my knees and onto my feet. It took some time, but we eventually stood together. I didn't feel any pain, and I knew that his magic had worked. I looked down at my ribs before I looked up directly into his pacific blue eyes, feeling nothing but the butterflies in my stomach.

"Thank you." I said sincerely.

"I'm glad you're okay." He replied. And it was then that I noticed I still had my hands in his. I pulled them away quickly, fast enough to make it obvious that I was nervous about having my hands in his. I looked away from his eyes, down at my feet. I could feel the heat on my cheeks, and knew that I had turned scarlet from the anxiety of his contact. I felt his warm touch on my right arm. Looking to his hand, I saw him lifting the material of my leather torso, revealing the bloody bandage from the Balverine claw mark.

"What happened here?" He asked.  
"I was.. Attacked by Balverines…" I told him, and then looked up in his eyes. "… Again." And it hit me, right there, that it was _Maze_ who had protected me from the Balverines.

"You didn't get bit, did you?" He asked. I shook my head.  
"No. It was just the claw." I replied honestly, and then waited for him to look into my eyes. When he did, I smiled knowingly.  
"Maze, I know it was you… who provided me protection when those Balverines teamed up on me." I remarked. He was at a loss for words, and I knew I had caught him off-guard. It made me smile even more so.

"Well… I was hoping to catch James… on his way there, and I, uh, seen you in a battle you were…"  
"You always find me when I need you the most. Whether it's when I'm about to be mauled, being mauled, or the aftermath of a battle, you always know where to find me." I told him. "I've never had someone always there for me, and to be honest, I'm glad it's you." He looked into my eyes and gave a soft smile. I placed my hand gently on the side of his face, and my lips on his other cheek in a very affectionate gesture. I knew that he wasn't used to the way I was when I was grateful, but he wasn't as shocked and stunned as he was when I had left the Guild and kissed him on his cheek before I left. As soon as I had pulled away, he looked into my eyes.  
"I'm starting to think that you have a habit of finding danger." He said, mordantly, as he began to gently untie the bandage to examine the gash. I smiled.  
"I think danger finds me." I replied, and he chuckled warmly. "You know, Maze, you don't have to always bail me out." He glanced at me a few times as he began to unwrap the make-shift bandages on my arm.  
"I want to." He replied genuinely. This made me smile happily. He looked up to see my reaction before looking back at the injury, grinning himself. I think he was pleased to see me enjoying his company. And I was.

He overlooked the wound, and sighed slightly.

"You should clean this out before it gets infected." He said. I nodded.  
"I guess I can do that now." He walked with me to the ocean side, where I sat near the current and cleaned off my arm.

"So, what's up with Theresa?" I asked casually. The saltwater stung my arm slightly, but I kept my complaints nothing but a mere thought.

"There's a blind seeress that lives among Twinblade's Bandit Clan. She might be able to tell him about his sister." He told me. "It's no coincidence that the bandits have been doing so well lately, either. She stands next to Twinblade himself. Reliable sources say he saved her life."

"Sounds like a love story." I stated, which was actually supposed to remain a thought.

"I suppose it does." He replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice. It forced me to smile.

"Believe what you can in these dark times, I guess. Anything to keep moral values." I replied, and shook my arm dry. I had opened the wound up, after hours of scabbing over, and applied pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding. Standing up, I met Maze's gaze. "It's hard to not get caught up with the hardships nowadays." He nodded in agreement.  
"Hard to be yourself when you don't know who you can trust." He added. I nodded.

"Keep the reliable ones close." I continued. He looked at me long and hard.

"Promise me something." He said. I looked closer, a little concerned about his serious tone.  
"Alright." He close his eyes and breathed deeply.  
"Don't get too close to anyone. Try to keep yourself distant." He told me. I nodded.  
"Of course." This seemed to relieve him. "Is there something wrong?" I asked. He opened his eyes and met mine.

"… Not yet." He replied. I could tell he was worried about something deeply, but I decided not to press the matter.  
"I worry about you sometimes, Maze." I smiled slightly. He returned the favor. "Now you've got to promise _me_ something." He chuckled warmly.  
"Okay."

I paused for a moment. "Promise you'll always be there for me when I need you." I proposed. He instantly grew stiff, as if fighting a demon within himself. His look of humor was instantly replaced by a look of regret. The look was once more replaced, but this time by a look of warmth. He placed his warm hand on my cheek, and I felt the butterflies once more.

"I promise." He replied earnestly. I felt strange tears well up in my eyes, and he ran his hand through my hair to the back of my hair before pulling me into an embrace. I wrapped my arms around his back as he placed his arms around my shoulders and held me tighter than I've ever been held before.

In that moment in time, I've never felt closer to Maze on an emotional level, and a physical level. I felt like we bonded that night. He had changed since the first day I had met him, and turned into someone I trusted completely, even if I held a small suspicion about his behavior. But I knew he would never intentionally put me in harms way. I felt that if I lay in my death bed, then Maze would do anything in his power to save me.

_And I knew that I would always have feelings for him. _


End file.
